


Stardust

by ladyofsorrows



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is misunderstood, Allura is protective of the Paladins, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Comfort, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Depressed Lance (Voltron), Emotional Turmoil, Everyone thinks Keith is dead, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith is a thief, Keith leads a resistance, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance needs a nap tbh, Loyal Keith, M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Misunderstandings, Nightmares, Organized Crime, Original female warriors, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PTSD, Pining, Protective Keith (Voltron), Rating May Change, Rebel Keith (Voltron), Rebellion, Referenced Torture, Space Pirates, Timeskip, Violence, Wormholes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-01-04 10:59:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12167496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyofsorrows/pseuds/ladyofsorrows
Summary: Two years ago the Paladins fought in the deciding battle against Lotor and two years ago they won, at a price.In an attempt to unstick the Blue Lion from a trap designed to destroy it, Keith leaves his own Lion to dismantle the machine from the inside, the resulting explosion killing the Red Paladin and severing Voltron forever.Or so they thought.Now two years on they receive a distress signal from the crime capital planet, Stardust, the troupe they save being led by a familiar face and the enemies they gain fronted by a powerful man with a grudge.





	1. Futures and Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years have passed since the team lost Keith, and two years later they still can't form Voltron.  
> A signal arises that Allura can't turn from, a chance her people might still be alive, but in perusing this the team end up neckdeep in a possibly dangerous situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first legitimate attempt at a Voltron fanfic!  
> I'm not 100% sure where I want this to go but I have some ideas, so I guess we'll see.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Starlight by Starset

"Allura move!"  
Shiro barked, spinning the Black Lion smoothly between two small pirate fighters, their flag displayed on their small wings, Hunk using the force of Yellow to ram into one of them, the other pursuing the Blue Lion and Princess inside relentlessly. 

"I can't get a clear shot on it without hitting Blue!" Lance exclaimed, attempting to catch up in the fast moving Red Lion, its thankful dexterity useful in this situation. 

"Oh quiznak, another on your tail, Shiro!" Pidge informed, ducking under Hunk to try and take it out, their battle unfortunately taking place in the limited space between two merchant planets, their shared moon hanging precariously between. Lance had already crashed into its surface once, the ding to the Red Lions hull inspiring his now careful approach to their frankly pathetic struggle against these literal half rate pirates. 

They'd received a distress call from a merchant on the Planet Morora 3, the signal begging for help against cowardice space pirates looking to loot their produce. 

Allura being the peacekeeper she was, ordered them immediately move in to defend the people, pirates challenging them a fight in space that they were losing.

Badly. 

For some fucking insane reason, the Paladins of the legendary Voltron, Lions and all, couldn't take out a few petty thieves, their coordination sloppy. 

The castle alone used to be enough to scare small time criminals and villains away, knowledge that the Lions of Voltron were indeed within, but now they were little more than a joke to the universe. 

They hadn't been able to form Voltron in two years, give or take and all of their bonds were slowly weakening. It was hard to work as a team when they clearly weren't meant to be one, not in this order at least. 

All because Keith had to be a hero. 

Lances heart clenches at the thought, thankful for Reds molten ray as he uses it to destroy an asteroid in his way, it shouldn't be him behind this Lions movement, controlling her fiery power.  
She was Keith's, Lance knew that and despite the fact he could use her, and well, he always felt a sense of detachment. She spoke to him, of course, but it was never a true bond. 

They did have a common interest though, perhaps that being what kept them compatible, they both wanted Keith to return.  
Red to have him pilot her in that reckless, bad boy way he did and Lance to finally atone for his guilt.

It was his fault Keith is gone, despite the fact he's been assured otherwise, he knew it was his doing. God why did he have to be so stupid. 

Two years ago they were fighting against Galra ships, the final ships still moving after the destruction of Lotors main cruiser. They were attempting to come together and form Voltron under the protection of the fire from the castle, but Lance had been caught in a large clamp like machine, the ridiculously strong metal crushing Blue and keeping her grounded. The machine was designed to negate and destroy the lions, it seemed. It's inner workings probably a mess of high tech gear. 

Keith was shouting at Lance, a voice he can barely remember, telling him to stay calm as he started to panic. It happened in less than a minute, it felt like hours. 

Lance watched Red as she glided toward him sharply, the small form of Keith launching from the jaw of the Lion, using a jetpack to sail through space. 

Lance remembers seeing that disheveled hair spilling over his face, eyes somehow violet twinkling in concentration as he landed on Blues head, staring at Lance through the Lions eyes, something else other than raw determination in his expression. An apology? A promise? He still couldn't place it, no matter how often he endured nightmares based around that last glimpse. 

Then he was gone. 

Lance didn't even see him fly away, too focused on trying to figure out what Keith could possibly be doing. "Keith what the hell are you doing?" Shiro sounded panicked, well aware of what the impulsive Keith could be planning. 

Allura shouted next. "Keith don't, the explosion from the quintessence inside will kill you!" 

"Think about this buddy!" Hunk, always the voice of reason. "There's got to be another way to save him!" Everyone shouted words of warning, urging Keith away. 

He didn't listen. 

Despite the deafening noise of everyone screaming into their coms, Lance could very clearly hear a single person speak, tone distinct. "Heh, hold on, Sharpshooter.." Keith's gravelly voice almost echoed as he spoke the last words Lance would hear from him. He barely had time to mutter an answer. 

The explosion was magnificent, an array of reds and blues, purples and all in between bubbling into a blast of what looked like paint across the stark black of space as the claw exploded, leaving Blue battered up pretty good, and Lance with more guilt then he knew what to do with as he tried to rein his tumbling Lion, tears already leaking from his eyes. 

"Keith? Keith!" He had cried, unable to figure out why Keith, their best hand to hand fighter, pilot of the Red Lion, second in command of Voltron and the best pilot out had sacrificed himself when they'd finally won, after so long. For Lance, no less. 

"Too your left, Lance!" Pidges warning in his ear knocked him from his daydream as he carefully span the Red Lion around, using his current rage at the past to fuel the way he burnt the ship to a crisp. 

"One more, on Allura still." Coran sounded worried, voice tense in the com, afraid for his princess no doubt. 

"Hunk you're the most likely to take it out, use your armour to ram it." Another voice sounded from the castle, Matt Holt, Pidges older brother. 

Hunk gave a quick huff, quickly barrelling the Yellow Lion forward. "On it, Allura lead it back our way."

After another embarrassing few minutes of battle, Allura had led the pirate back to Hunk, who used Yellows strength to launch from the moons surface and straight into the pirate.

As they returned to the castle, a thank you wasn't even given from Morora 3. Why would they thank them? Two of the five pirate fighters crashed back to the surface. Who knows who they hurt? 

"That wasn't bad?" Hunk offered hollowly, his fake, barely comforting smile appearing above everyone's controls, Lance couldn't even look, eyes downcast as he fiddled with the gearstick Keith once wielded. 

"No, not bad." Pidge groaned, clearly annoyed face next to Hunks. "That was terrible." 

"Pidge." Shiro said softly, expression just as hollow.  
Allura didn't speak, only a sigh heard from her as they finally pull into the hanger, not a word shared between Paladins as they dismounted. 

Lance locked away Red as quickly as possible, only sparing a moment to smile softly at the Lion, he can only feel her whine slightly in response. She never purred, not the way Blue did. He wonders sometimes if she purred for Keith? Wonders if Blue even purrs for Allura. 

Matt was quick to great them, the awfully eccentric rebel joining them over a year ago when Pidge disappeared in the middle of the night to raid a prison alone, Matt recently apprehended and held there.  
After getting scolded for a good hour from Shiro, Allura and Matt himself, the pair reunited and have been almost inseparable since. 

It was scary how alike they were, but also incredible, the things they could create and code were brilliant and, though Voltron was still a bust, they could safely say they had the best hacking duo in the universe.  
Though the arguments about different methods and the casual bickering grew intense fast, a hole almost filled where Lance and Keith used to bicker, they were amazing. 

"I'm gonna go shower and get some rest.." Lance informed the team as Matt embraced his sister proudly, leaning an arm on Shiro. Out of everyone, Matt was the most optimistic, faith in his sister and best friend never ending, hope in the future of Voltron in bags. Lance finally removed his helmet, hair sweaty and matted against his skin as he wished them goodnight, no one paying much mind as Shiro softly spoke. 

They used to all get together after missions to discuss what they did well, what they can work on but they soon stopped. No one interacted much after missions, no one could bare face their own failure. It was stupid, they knew, but they couldn't face each other right away after missions, always in dire need of time to self reflect before any discussion took place. They tried everything to get better, grow bonds with unfamiliar Lions but it didn't work, after so long it never worked. Keith's absence tore apart the team, repair seemingly impossible. 

As Lance walked away, down a familiar but in no way comforting hall, a firm hand caught his shoulder, lightly spinning him until he met the warm, concerned eyes of Hunk. 

"What's up, buddy?" Lance tried so hard to sound cheerful, but his voice was too flat. 

"Are you okay? You were really out of it all battle. Like obviously not blaming you for the fact we can't form Voltron still, that's a group effort, but you were just a little unresponsive." 

Lance had to smile softly, trust Hunk to notice his less chipper output. His smile fell though as he heaved a heavy sigh. "It's just almost that time of year again.."

Hunk stiffened, giving only a nod in reply as he wordlessly offered Lance a pat of the shoulder. It would soon mark two years exactly since Keith's sacrifice, the unwanted event only about an earth week away. 

Out of everyone, Lance took the loss the hardest, the Blue Paladin locking himself in his room for almost two weeks straight, face blank as he stared at the wall, trying so hard to fathom what drove Keith to throw himself under the bus for him, when all the had was a rivalry and a so called mutual hatred.

On his darkest days he sometimes thought about his own feelings on the matter, but to this day he tries to drown them, what he thought about Keiths sacrifice. They're a confusing mess of conflicting emotions and if he dwelled on them too long, he feared he might go mad. 

In the end, it was Pidge who bought him back, giving him a gift to cope with the maddening feeling of loss. Something she did when they were looking for Matt. 

"I usually write on a computer but I figure you're a pen and paper kind of guy." She offered him a blue bound journal, pages held together with a shiny buckle. He took it with a wordless question. "I know how hard it is to lose someone close to you, believe me, I know. It helps to just vent so here."

He smiled for the first time in weeks, despite the fact it was only a weak one, opening up the empty tome later that evening to write. He didn't know where to begin, what to say. 

The first entry went like this:

So Pidge gave me this book, I guess. I feel so stupid writing this. Why the fuck am I bothering, god.  
I'm sorry. 

The following entires followed that pattern. Lance speechless, broken. But it got easy to spill his woes into the page, somehow feeling the comfort Pidge assured came from getting your words out, even if it was just in a book that no one could see. It bought closure almost. 

That's where Lance was heading now, longing to make a new entry, expel his regrets, sorrows and wishes into the pages. 

"You're skipping dinner again?" Hunk asked, finally letting go of his shoulder, Lance gave a nod, using his head to motion down the hall. "This skin doesn't make itself pretty, beauty sleep does that. I- night Hunk." He smiled, more genuinely as they shared a soft hug. 

"Alright. It'll be okay you know? Hold on. Goodnight Lance.." As Hunk disappeared down the hall, they blew a few kisses to the other, a lightness filling Lances body as he continued on his way. 

Finally entering his room, Lance took familiar place on the floor in the corner, journal now in hand as he tapped his pen to his lip, unsure what to tell his book today, would he tell it about how they lost again? How Keith's face still filled Lances vision every second he pilots a lion he doesn't belong in? 

He could write a lot now, usually pages on his feelings and thoughts. It was hard to write to a book, he couldn't put a feeling behind it so he started writing to a particular person and after that, words just flowed. Today though, he was exhausted so he kept the almost letter short. 

Dear Keith,  
It's almost the 8th. Almost two years and I'm still mourning your dumbass mullet.  
You're missed you know?  
More than I'd have been if I was the one who died. God I wish I died. You'd deal with my death better than I'm dealing with yours at least and besides, with you here, we'd probably still be able to form Voltron.  
Reds gotten a bit restless, she does that the closer we get to the 8th, I know she misses her real paladin.  
I miss her real paladin.  
Until next time,  
Lance.

He tucked the book away, feeling a little lighter as he snuggled into his bed, too tired now to even shower as the lights automatically dimmed, leaving him in a darkness that he either found comforting or choking. 

Sleep overtook him soon enough and for once, he wasn't plagued with nightmares of explosions and charred bodies or dreams of violet eyes and black hair. He was dreamless, the only time he found a solace. 

It wasn't a long rest, alarms blaring only a few hours later as Allura called them up to the control room, urgency in her voice. 

Lance groaned, rolling out of his bed with a thud, stiff hands slowly pulling off his clothes, he hadn't changed, and replacing them with cleaner outfit before he finally shuffled toward the destination, steps slow and sleep heavy. As usual he was the last to arrive, deciding only to walk as the others ran. 

In an unwelcome tangent thought he thought back to the days Keith would always arrive first,  
despite the amount of times Lance raced him. He used to say it was because Keith's room was closer, only by a metre or two -the pair neighbours- but it was enough for Lance to strike into a lighthearted argument. Once Keith promised to give Lance a ten second head start, still managing to make it first after loosing said ten seconds. Lance wasn't angry about it anymore, happy to have such memories to treasure. 

"Paladins!" Allura looked pleased, hands together before her as he expressively spoke to the sleepy troupe. "We received a distress beacon!"

"Okay?" Shiro probed, looking for the reason Allura was clearly happy. Lance envied her smile. So bursting with light that Lance hadn't seen or felt in two years. 

"It was a specific signal, designed only to be decoded by an Altean ship." She continued, looking to Coran as he typed furiously, decoding and tracing the signal it seemed, his own face stretched into a small smile. 

"Okay?" Hunk added onto Shiros question pile, yawning into his hand, other scratching the back of his neck.

Allura sighed in a condescending sort of way, that too bright smile still present. "That can only mean a single thing. An Altean is in danger!" 

"What?" Pidge now seemed somewhat interested, rubbing her eyes with a newfound vigour. "That's-"

"Impossible." Her brother finished sharply, Matt wasn't the kindest person to talk to when he was tired, sleep his favourite pastime, clearly not as interested as Pidge. 

"Impossible? Maybe. But if an Altean is out there in possible danger I refuse to let them sit back and suffer." The Princess wasn't giving in, ethereal eyes challenging.

"Princess you've seen us fight, we need more training as a team-" Shiro tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't have it, impatiently tapping on a screen, pointedly not meeting his imploring gaze. 

"Shiro these are my people. The last of my people and if anyone is out there, as an Altean and as their Princess, I refuse to do nothing." She was final, stubbornness sometimes relentless, and Shiro had to nod with a begrudging expression, moving to his seat quickly to probably begin formulating a plan. 

Lance sat back as well, uninterested and tired. He'd fight where they needed him and damn, he'd fight well, but who they were saving and where didn't hold any care in his mind. 

Suddenly Coran shouted, happiness in his words. "I've traced the signal Princess. It's from.." He tapped away, concentration on his brow, Allura watching over his shoulder. "Stardust.." 

"What's that?" Hunk asked, Pidge humming in agreement as she tapped on her own screen, probably looking to find and study whatever Stardust was, Matt holding his own technology, a laptop he built himself, and probably doing the same. 

"Stardust is the worst of the worst planets, known for its scummy trade, gambling, arena fighting and slavery." Coran explained with an ominous, warning voice, less chipper than before. "Only the rich and powerful can ever leave that place. Oh, gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.." He yelped for affect, still tapping on his device in search of more info. 

"My people could be slaves there..." Allura mumbled, bitter and sad before pointing to Coran as her voice rose. That completely unrelenting look of determination on her face. "Alright Coran, set a course for Stardust."

"I have a bad feeling about this place..." Hunk muttered, leaning against Lances chair, voice wavering slightly. 

Lance had to agree, but something was drawing him along with the destination. A pull, a hope he hadn't felt before. It made his gut twist, a feeling like being at the top of a rollercoaster or the peak of a swing on a swing set filling him from top to toe. He shivered, tapping his screen for a view of Stardust, overcome with a sense of urgency to see this planet. 

In the base of his ribs, he could feel a Lion purring. 

And it didn't sound like Blue.


	2. This Town is Wasted and Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stardust is exactly what the Paladins expected it to be, disgusting and seedy but it definitely isn't short of a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy wow, thank you all so much for the positive feedback! So happy to see people interest in the story so early on, really inspired me to get this chapter finished.  
> As far as future updates go, I'm not sure if I can conform to a regular updating schedule, but I'll try and keep them consistent and wholesome, no chapter will be half assed on my watch.  
> Regardless, once again, enjoy!
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Death Valley by Fall Out Boy

The Green Lion sailed downward at an almost crawling pace, the expanse below its invisible hull lit bright with thousands of lights, tall grey buildings covering every inch of what they could see of the planet, its twin suns slowly sinking below the visible horizon. 

"Alright Paladins." Coran spoke to them all through their helmets, an excited, or perhaps nervous edge to his voice. "You'll need to take this slow, there's a massive energy field around Stardusts surface, designed to detect and destroy ships with no clearance. If you move slowly it should mistake you for debris floating through the air."

"Should?" Hunk squeaked, pressing his face against the glass to watch the planets surface with wary. 

"About to pass through the field, hold on to your bayards.." Pidge informed the other four Paladins in her cockpit, brow furrowed in concentration. 

"Hold me." Lance leapt up into Hunks hands, a laugh rippling through the bigger man as he attempted to balance the extra weight, tension almost dissipating under the single sound. Lance smiled, glad to see the usually worried Hunk grin as Pidge announces they're through the field. 

"Excellent Pidge." Allura offers a small nod, pulling a large handful of threadbare brown fabric from the bag of supplies she insisted on bringing. 

Lance walked over warily, shooting a questioning glare Shiros way. He only replied with a shrug, walking Allura with just as much curiosity. 

"Bringing her down." Pidge spoke again, green lion jolting slightly as she begins to land. 

"Hey why does a planet so scummy have such high tech gear protecting it?" Lance asked no one in particular. 

"Stardust may look like a slum, but as far as my research goes, it's like the Las Vegas of space, built by rich criminals as a place they could enact all their devious gambling dreams, shit like that." Matt explained simply through his helmet. 

"I don't exactly know what a 'Las Vegas' is.." Coran continued, voice as curious as it was confused. "But Matt has the general idea. It's run by a Gendan called Grin, and he's richer than rich. He buys slaves and keeps them to work for him in casinos, shops and clubs, he'll do anything to ensure they all stay on the planets surface."

"Jesus that's a little barbaric, wouldn't you say?" Hunk mumbled in reply. 

"I'm tracking the exact location of the signal now.." Matt exclaimed.

"Alright, I'm going to need two people to come with me and see where this signal is coming from." Allura finally turned around, thrusting the tattered cloth in Shiros direction. "Anymore and we'll attract a crowd."

He took it with little hesitation, unfurling it to find a brown cloak, tattered at the edges. "Princess why do we need these?"

"Stardust is full of looters and selfish people." She looked at the other three Paladins with a very critical gleam in her eyes, toying with the thin fabric of probably another cloak. "If they see our armour they'll probably try and attack us to steal it. Most people here are starving."

"We're the Paladins of Voltron." Lance drawled, though the statement seemed more and more hollow as the days wore on. "If anyone tries to take our shit, we'll beat the hell out of them." 

"That's not exactly how the Paladins are meant to work, Lance." Shiro scolded him only lightly, pulling the hood over his own head, successfully concealing his armour, Allura doing the same beside him. Shiro addressed her next, thumb sticking out toward the current Red Paladin. "Lance should come with us, Hunk and Pidge can defend the Lion." 

Lance shrugged as a hood was handed to him, the material looking worse up close, parts of the fabric thinning to a point of translucency. 

"Remember, heads down, eyes down. Don't look at anyone side ways." Allura instructed with wary, watching Pidge flip a few switches on the Green Lions dash. "You'll be alright to defend Green if she's discovered and attacked?"

"Hunk and I will be fine." She responded, earning a disagreeing snort from the Yellow Paladin, whom was presently looking out the window in morbid curiosity.

"We're just tracking that signal, once we confirm or deny an ally we'll be back." Shiro mediated calmly, joining Allura and Lance by the exit. 

"Can Green stay cloaked for so long?" Hunk looked clearly afraid, crossing his arms and uncrossing them. "I don't like this planet, I get a bad feeling just looking out at the alleyway."

"Yeah she'll be perfectly fine." Pidge informed with a sinisterly innocent smile, clearly not as stressed herself. "I did some work on her before we left."

"Let's go!" Lance exclaimed with a flourish toward the door, jumping on the balls of his feet in excitement at perhaps getting a chance to fight and win. They couldn't fight well in their lions, but at hand to hand, or in his case gun to gun, combat, they still had it.

The group waved to their remaining Paladins, moving to leave the Lion and enter a dingy backstreet, the tall buildings on either side casting ominous shadows across the cracked flooring, piles of assorted garbage littering every crevice of the nasty location. Lance thanked his lucky stars for his helmet, unsure if he could handle the smell otherwise, dead and decomposing corpses of what he hoped were just animals among the trash proof of this. 

"Remember, heads down." Shiro warned, actively ignoring the less than sightly surroundings as the trio slowly navigated their way out of the slim alleyway, following instructions fed to them by Matt, their location only a block or two away form the signal. 

Stardust was, as they expected, a disgusting, seedy planet all over. Untrusting and sinister eyes watching them as they quickly walked down a dim street, its cleanliness level barely surpassing the revolting alleyway. 

"Hey gentleman.." An alluring voice purred, said sultry tone belonging to a scarcely dressed alien women with large-bat like ears and a heavily made up face, her completion a soft green and eyes completely blacked out, behind her a brightly lid establishment pulsed with a strange music. 

Lance was tempted to shoot her a smile, finger guns maybe, but headed the warnings given, following behind Shiro a little quicker, not missing the way Allura clutched his metal arm to stay closer to his side as they passed a clear club, more strangely composed music drifting from its core. They didn't need to attract any attention and flirting with people would definitely do just that. 

Taking another back alley, they came to the front of a tall, grey skeleton of a building, windows covered by sheets of metal of strips of black fabric, the location screaming fuck off in the peeling paint and cracked walls. "Would it kill them to clean up a bit?" Lance joked lightheartedly, no one even sparing the time to laugh politely. 

"The signal is coming from a structure on this street." Matt informed them through their helmets, Lance involuntarily flinching at the prospect of entering the gross looking joint. Who knows what kind of seedy mobster or drug lord resided within. 

Shiro only nodded calmly, Lance envied that, before ordering Lance to shoot the bolts holding the door firmly in place.

He bit back a retort, doing what he was told with impeccable aim, red Bayard in his hands, the door falling forward with a probably too loud clap. Lance nervously looked over his shoulder, waiting to be jumped by a criminal or thief. 

"Good work, lets go." Shiro pulled a small square cube from his pocket, the nearly translucent object suddenly bursting with a clear white light, enough to cut the darkness inside the first room of the building. Much like the outside, it was dirty and the walls were cracked and peeling. 

Geez, this place looks dusty.." Lance commented dryly, daring to run a finger across a collapsed table like surface, a thick clump of dust hanging from his glove. He shook it off with a huff. 

"Please!" They heard, the three Paladins jumping at the plea, clearly not echoing from their helmets. Sure enough across the room two bodies lay of the floor, pushing themselves into the corner as best as possible, one wrapped around the smaller protectively. She spoke again, holding up a small hand filled with what looked like coins, her deep pink skin dusted with dirt. "This is all we have, don't hurt me or my son."

Shiro blinked, looking to Allura for a moment before approaching the cowering forms, their stature no bigger than a small dog. "We don't want to hurt you, or take your money."

This seemed to make the women look up, eyes glowing a deep orange in the light. "What is it you want? Please don't take my son!" 

Allura joined Shiro, kneeling before the women with that diplomatic voice toned up, soft smile on her face. "We don't want to take your son either, we just want to help you.."

"Help?" She looked wary, curling tighter around her son. "This is Stardust. No one helps anyone, except Lock."

"We're the Paladins of Voltron." Lance finally announced, the women looking to him sharply. 

"Why would the defenders of the galaxy want to be here? I don't believe you, please leave.." She clearly wasn't budging, face set firmly. 

Allura sighed, standing back up gracefully as she held her Bayard out to the women who eyed it carefully. "Do you know what this is?"

"I tell my son tales of those weapons." She whispered softly, wonder in her eyes. "Is it true? Are you the Paladins? Have you come to save those of us trapped here?" 

Lance smiled unconsciously at that, happy to see not everyone found the Paladins of Voltron a terrible punchline to an equally terrible joke. 

Allura sighed with a small smile, offering her hand. "I am Princess Allura of Altea." 

The women look wary a moment before taking the hand, finally moving from her corner, her son standing at her side with a fearful expression on his dirt covered skin. "I am Liha, this is my son Tral. Are you here to save us, Princess?"

Biting her lip, Allura gently shook her head. "We don't have the firepower to free this planet today, one day I can assure you we will." 

"I see.." Liha looked away, disappointment breaking Lances heart. "What is it you're doing here then?" 

"We're tracking a distress signal, do you know where we'd find its location?" Shiro inquired, siding up to Allura. 

The women hummed for a moment, clearly thinking it over. "If anyone got a signal off this planet, it would be Lock."

"You keep saying that, what is Lock?" He pressed, Liha sighing wearily in response. 

"No one really knows, an ex guard some say, someone who saw the corruption. He's always stealing from different places, always giving to the poor." She smiles almost dreamily, shaking her head. "He once gave me and my son food for three quintents, he's saved countless of us slaves.."

"Sounds like Robin Hood." Lance muttered into his helmet, Hunk giggling at the comment, everyone else too sensible to acknowledge him. 

"One man did that?" Shiro didn't sound sure, but Allura looked captivated, mumbling about an Altean being the one to save all these people. 

She nodded firmly. "Lock is a hero, capable of anything." 

"Where can we find him?" Allura leaned forward, practically bubbling with excitement, smile wide. 

"Lock doesn't just give his location to the masses." She chuckled with a shake of her head. "I cannot tell you anything."

Allura practically growled in annoyance, he own joy fading into impatience. "Please, this is a matter of great importance!"

The women gave a little squeak of fear, Shiro having to put his hand on Allura shoulder to stop her from yelling at Liha, or worse. She looked at him for a moment before signing and leaning back. Shiro addressing the alien women before them. "Do you have any information, anything at all?"

"One of Locks bases is two buildings down.." The women murmured slowly, sighing in defeat. "That's all I know.."

Allura smiled brightly, Coran confirming that the signal must be coming from that building if it was in fact of this street, within her helmet. "Thank you. Let's go, Paladins."

"Wait.." Lance watched with a sad expression as Liha leaned back against the wall with a exhausted expression. "We can't leave them."

"We won't Lance, we'll free this planet one-" Shiro tried to reason, but Lance wouldn't budge, still watching the women carefully. 

"I'm sorry Shiro but I'm not leaving them here. We have to save them, at least them, please.." He couldn't explain his want to help the family, maybe it stemmed from the fact he couldn't save Keith and at least had a chance to save someone else, or something as simple as his own family and how much he missed them back on earth, how much the way Liha hugged her son reminded him of his own mothers hugs. All he knew was he was going to save these people. 

"Alright, let's get them out of here then.." Shiro conceded, smiling softly as he watched Lance grin brightly and begin talking to the aliens. 

"We can't free Stardust today, but we'll free you. If you'll join us, we'll get you out of here." Lance offered the mother and her child, watching the way their faces light up in awe. "Stay close and after we check out this signal, we'll go."

Liha began to weep into her sons hair as she hugged him closer than close, her tears gleaming an orange brighter than her eyes as she looks up to him. "Thank you, Blue Paladin."

He choked a little in reply, holding up his red Bayard as he ushered the pair out, at a standing height they were no taller than his knee. "Red actually, but it's cool.." 

"Alright, let's go Lance.." It was Shiro speaking in a soft, somehow proud voice. 

Ever since Keith died, Shiro had kept a close eye on Lance, ensuring he didn't collapse in on himself too much, really taking on his honorary title of Space Dad, given lovingly by all the Paladins back when they first got their Lions. Lance hated it, the fact he couldn't deal with his own emotions clearly rupturing Shiros mourning process, after all he was closer to Keith than anyone. They were like brothers. 

Lance nodded, shaking from his thoughts, before dutifully following behind Shiro and Allura as they took their leave from the building, none of them looking back once.

Shiro smiled at Allura softly, taking her hand into his flesh one as he turned off his helmet for a moment. Finally he spoke, a conversation meant for only them. "Are you alright? You went a little over the top back there." 

She huffed in response, the trio coming up to a building similar to the last, a battered husk of what once must have been an apartment complex with its many floors stretching up into the deep green hue of the sky. Finally Allura spoke, carefully watching Lance has he shot through the door. "I'm alright, sorry for snapping."

"It's fine, just don't stress so much, yeah?" Shiro responded, taking his small glowing cube yet again and offering it too Lance who proceeded to kick the door open, clearly more armoured than the last. Finally it flew open with a squeak, hinges clearly old. It was just as dark in the room as it was in the last, a single staircase leading upward across the room and not a piece of furniture in sight, only rubbish and dust on the cracked tile flooring. 

"Where too?" Lance inquired of his fellow Paladins, Liha and Tral hiding at his feet. 

Before anyone could reply, the door slammed shut with a stuttering noise, the feeling reverberating in Lances chest as the room was plunged into a darkness deeper than before. The only light spilling from the cube in Lances slightly trembling hand. Quickly he threw it too the centre of the room, light spread as far as it could before he drew his weapon. Allura and Shiro doing the same as they came together in a circle, backs together and alien refugees in the centre, ready to fight whatever opposed them. 

Lance cursed himself for not ripping the door off its flimsy hinges when he had the chance, particularly as he watched a figure dressed fully in black descend the stairs, a strange gun held out before them as they slowly approached the Paladins. 

Said gun was humming, a glow pulsing from it's barrel and from three identical prongs framing its body. It looked ready to fire and Lance didn't want to know what it could do. 

Shiro raised his hands, watching the figure warily. "Are you Lock?"

The figure shook a little, clearly laughing at the notion. At least they have a sense of humour Lance thought dryly. 

"What's going on?" Pidge asked quickly through their helmets, her voice heavy with a static that wasn't there earlier. As she repeated the question, their helmets cut out with a crackle that had all three Paladins flinching, a small buzzing all that remained in place of the voices.

"Pidge?" Lance put a hand against the side of his helmet, flicking the switch there experimentally. The buzzing didn't cease. "Damn it."

"Where is Lock?" Shiro tried again, clearly more worried about the cloaked individual than their lack of connection, as he leaned forward to try and see the figures face under their hood. They stepped back in response, gun level with Shiros face. He had the decently to keep a straight face as he looked down calmly at the shorter life form. 

"Who wants to know?" They spat, voice distinctly female and heavy with an accent Lance couldn't place. 

Allura smiled, happy with a response before she replied in that famous diplomat voice. "We are the Paladins of Voltron. We come to see if Lock sent out a signal for us." 

The figure ran their free hand across their chin before tilting their head and lowering their weapon. They spoke softly into a device pulled from their pocket, voice too low to be heard by any of those before her. Finally she looked up, carefully looking over the Paladins each in turn and their refugees. "One of you will see Lock, the others will wait." 

Lance turned to his companions curiously, waiting on an order as to who would be sent away. 

Allura looked ready to volunteer, wanting nothing more than to run up and see if they were an Altean but Lance decided to beat her too it. 

"Lance?" Shiro raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure you're okay to do this?"

He nodded with a charming smile, deciding he shouldn't mention the only reason he volunteered was because of how expendable he was compared to them and how he couldn't forgive himself if someone else got hurt when he could have done something. "Sure, I'll be fine." 

Allura reluctantly gave her agreement, watching as Lance stepped forward slowly. 

The figure nodded, throwing him a smaller, dimmer version of the cube still resting on the floor, the light it emitted a deep yellow colour that hurt Lances eyes. "Remove your helmet and forfeit your weapon, Lock awaits you on the top floor." 

He winced at the command, placing his Bayard on the ground. With a final deep breath of the clean oxygen inside, he removed his helmet, instantly gagging on the stale air in the room. It smelled of a disgusting mix of dead bodies, mould and a the smell of something burning. Perhaps rubber. The grotesque combination left a lump in Lances throat as he swallowed back vomit, amusing himself for a moment as he thought of how Hunk would react to the situation. 

"You okay Lance?" Shiro asked him, Lance turned offering a weak thumbs up before proceeding up the stairs at the command of the demanding figure. 

It took longer than he would have liked to scale all the stairs, the horrible smells hanging in he air not helping him. Without his helmet he also lost contact with any of the others, if of course the connection was actually working, who knows, maybe the figure had killed Shiro and Allura. 

Biting the idea of running back down to check on them, Lance finally came to a large door made of a metal too shiny to be from this planet. 

Without any idea of what to do to get through it, he knocked, the noise echoing ominously through the building. 

It took only a minute for it to slowly slide open, the light on the other side making Lance wince and hold up his free hand to defend his eyes. 

He shuffled slowly forward, taking a deep breath of the significantly cleaner air within as the door closed behind him with a mechanical clap. 

As his eyes adjusted he found a surprising sight. The room was still dusty and dirty with the same cracked tiles and peeling walls, that much was for certain, but it held a massive monitor on one wall and a smaller one beside it, a large, clearly homemade, switchboard on a surface before it. 

Three bodies occupied the room with him, the first was watching him curiously with round, blue eyes. She looked like a cat, though not like a Galra, her fur a light brown and eyes clearly not washed out with a sinister yellow. 

The second was sitting on a stool before the switchboard, a female also, her flesh was a light, icy blue and from what he could see, she was built like him, thin and tall. 

"Hey, I'm Lance, where is Lock?" He looked between the females, eyes resting on the muscly back of the third person, their form instantly stiffening at his words, head of long black hair lifting from where they were reading something on the smaller screen. 

They span around quickly, violet eyes clashing with dark blue as Lance gasped, stepping away from the man before him with trembling steps, he feared his legs would turn to jelly below him as tears formed in his eyes of their own accord. 

Two years of guilt, worry and longing, two years of pain suddenly meant nothing as Keith stared right back with equal awe, equal pain. 

Keith, the same Keith that died for Lance two years prior stood before him, he had to blink a few times, still wary whether or not this man was a figment of his imagination, perhaps the dirty air effected him more than he thought. 

But no, Keith didn't disappear, instead he walked closer, silence reigning over the room. The closer he got the better Lance could study him, his slightly stubbly face, clearly longer hair, sharper build. As they stood face to face, Lance taller by only a little, a pale hand came forward to touch Lances arm, tentative. As if Keith wasn't sure if Lance was real either. 

He could feel Keith's warm palm as it clasped his bicep in a solid, almost too tight grip. The shock of pain was enough for Lance to let his tears fall, suddenly overcome with the truth that Keith was alive. 

He was touching his arm and he was alive. 

Keith was alive.


	3. Back With The Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins find Keith and plan to leave Stardust, but something always goes wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly you're all so lovely, your positive words and feedback are a big inspiration for me to keep writing.  
> This chapter marks 10k+ too which makes this the longest story I've ever worked on without losing inspiration or having my plot holes collapse in on me. So hooray!  
> I have lots of plans for this story though, so here's hoping I can keep up with it.  
> This chapter was a difficult one, I had a lot of trouble trying to describe some scenarios, action scenes have always been a challenge to me, but I'm pretty happy with the turnout.
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Champion by Fall Out Boy

One of the first entries that Lance put into his journal spoke about what Lance would do if Keith came back somehow. He wrote about how he'd no doubt slap the Red Paladin across the face, twice for good measure before hugging him for dear life and never letting go. He said that he'd apologise profusely for everything. Their rivalry and the cruel things he had said. 

He would apologise for ever telling Keith he hated him, how false the claim was was. 

However, now that the opportunity had presented itself Lance couldn't even unclench his jaw, couldn't look away from the roguish face before him, violet eyes alight with a wonder that probably mirrored his own. 

Keith's hand was still wired around his upper arm, probably afraid that if he let go, Lance would disappear. Lance didn't want to disappear, disappearing meant losing Keith, and suddenly that's exactly what he intended to avoid. 

They spent some time just looking into the others eyes, a silent conversation of guilt and worry, answerless questions and questionless answers. 

The thick silence was broken, a voice he hadn't heard for so long filling his ears. It sounded different than it did in his memories and dreams. But it was Keith and Lance found himself clinging desperately to the sound, tentative and quiet. "Lance?"

With the silence finally shattered, Lance sobbed, a dry and loud noise as he nodded profusely, he didn't care how pathetic he looked, right now he didn't care about anything. 

Keith did the opposite, a large smile breaking his slightly stubbly cheeks as the ghosts of tears skirted around his eyes, free hand coming to grip Lances other arm and pull him into a hug. It was a welcome embrace that Lance willingly fell into, clinging to the sweat soaked shirt sticking to Keith's skin, unable to speak. 

"Hey." Keith whispered softly, choking down his own sob as one hand held Lances back close and the other slowly ran through his short cropped brown hair, over and over. "Hey it's okay." 

Lance couldn't make a coherent sentence out of his thoughts, a buzzing filling his skull that almost blocked out Keith's comforting words. Finally he breathed out a single word, shaky and almost unintelligible. "Sorry.." 

Keith shushed him quietly, shaking his head. "It's alright.. it's alright." 

"Lock." Someone spoke softly, her accent akin to Russian, Lance decided, but he didn't dare look up to find out which of the alien women had spoken. "Keta wants to know what to make of the others in the lobby.."

Lance could hear Keith hum, ear on his throat allowing the vibration to move down his jaw and solidify the truth that, holy shit, Keith was alive.  
"Tell her they're welcome up." 

After a minute or two more, Lance finally unwrapped himself from Keith, standing on shaking legs as he met those violet eyes again. Keith opened his mouth to speak, but the words were lost when a fist collided with his arm, making him yelp in shock. "You fucking reckless piece of shit! What the actual fuck! Dios! I- you were fucking dead and now you're- idiota de mierda! No puedo creerte! What the hell happened!"

During his spiel, his voice did indeed rise, temperament borderline hysterical as tears fell from his eyes yet again. 

Keith took Lances flailing wrists into his warm hands again, gently forcing Lance to drop his arms, his expression imploring. "Hey, calm down, I'll explain everything when the others come up, Shiro and Allura right?"

He nodded, steadying his breathing again as he leant against the wall adjacent to the closed door, Keith mirroring him against the other as the door squeaked open again, the cloaked figure from before entering with a huff, Lances Bayard and helmet in her hands. He winced at the way she slammed them unceremoniously on the table housing the switchboard. 

Shiro came through first, his eyes falling on Lance with a soft sigh, happy to see damage didn't befall another teammate of his as Allura joined him, sticking close to his side as she cast her gaze critically across the room. "Are you okay Lance?" 

Lance gave a snort, shaking his head furiously as he pointed across the room at Keith, self consciously wiping at the tears slick on his cheeks, he didn't trust his voice. 

"Hey, um, guys." Keith offered a half wave as the pair turned to him, their eyes almost falling from their heads as they look at him. Before he could speak again, Keith was wrapped in Shiros arms, the taller man looking close to tears, Allura stayed back, a tear delicately tracing her cheekbone as she watched the display. 

"You're alive..you're alive.." Shiros voice was muffled by Keith's hair as he held him even tighter, voice an odd mix of anger and relief. 

"Yeah." Keith squeaked out, unable to breath in Shiros arms yet not willing to push him away. 

"Where's Liha and Tral?" Lance asked the still hooded figure, using it as an excuse to look from the clearly private moment between the boys.

She tilted her gun toward the door lazily, a sneer in her voice. "I asked them to wait downstairs, we don't need any spies from Grin getting up here."

Lance wanted to defend the pair, they weren't spies, surely, by kept his mouth shut and nodded. He didn't think he could handle an argument on top of everything that had happened that day. 

Reluctantly Shiro finally pulled away from the near chokehold he had Keith in, Allura taking the chance to hug the ex-Red Paladin, her arms purposefully not crushing the life from him, allowing him a chance to breathe. "What on Altea happened to you?" 

He shrugged slightly, looking to his feet for a moment to avoid the burning gazes the Paladins were casting. "I honestly don't know, when that claw thing blew up it hurt, fuck it hurt, but instead of dying I woke up on one of Stardusts moons.." 

"The only explanation to that is a wormhole, the claw must have caused it somehow.." Allura rubbed her arm, humming in thought as she took time to look around the room properly, lifting her head higher in defence upon seeing the three females, they were watching the display with a mix of curiosity and irritation. 

Noticing this, Keith began to walk toward them with a soft smile. "Sorry, uhm, these are my friends, they helped me set up this computer and send out that signal you guys followed."

Allura sighed slightly in response, but pulled a content smile in place. Although crushed it wasn't an Altean out here, she was certainly happy to have found Keith instead. 

"This is Chera." He pointed to the girl with blue skin, darker blue marks painting her arms and visible neck. She nodded in reply, fully whited out eyes making Lance shift nervously on the balls of his feet. "Keta." The hooded one that had led them in smiled under their hood, lifting it to reveal a green face with what looked like a circle of large leaves protruding from her head. "And Alec." The cat women bowed, her sharp eyes studying each paladin warily, none of the three seemed to exude hostility in any form, their statures relaxed. 

"You're Lock?" Shiro asked, still looking as though he was trying to compose himself after discovering Keith alive, his breathing hadn't quite levelled out yet. 

He gave an almost proud nod in return, a gleam in his eyes that Lance had missed so much, a gleam he often held when they bickered or competed. A gleam of arrogance, mischief and determination. "That's what they've taken to calling me here."

"Did you build the computer to get that signal out?" Allura seemed impressed, Keith stuck a thumb out toward his allies.

"We scavenged for months trying to get the gear to build this thing, our only way off this rock was getting to you guys, after spending a good few Vargas listening to Pidge drone on and on about Altean technology I was able to mimic it's signal with Alec." Keith pointed to the cat women, her ears twitching upon hearing her name. 

She gives a small, proud grin, her sharp teeth glinting in the dim lighting of the room. "Yes, Grins scanners cannot pick up on Altean tech because it doesn't really exist anymore. We used that to our advantage in contacting you." 

"Man when Pidge hears you actually built a computer that was strong enough to get to the castle and actually coded something in Altean she's gonna-" Lance paused, glaring at the helmets of his companions, the red lights indicating a connection unfortunately not present. "Oh my god we haven't told the others you're alive!" 

"Don't you dare turn on your communicators in here." Keith shouted dangerously, holding his hands up in a warning gesture. "You're lucky the field we put up in here disabled it and even more fucking lucky Grin hasn't already caught your communication on his radio. He has a fuck tonne of precautions in place to keep the citizens of Stardust disconnected from the universe, your coms are easy to pick up on. That's how we knew you were in the building."

"How will we tell the others we're okay?" Lance asked him, challenging. It felt familiar to bicker with Keith, a feeling he missed too much. 

Keith rolled his eyes in response. "We'll go tell them ourselves soon." 

"So you're coming back with us?" Asked Shiro with hopeful eyes, Lance joining him in his silent plea. 

"Yes, if you'll take us." Keith gave a gesture toward his female companions, all three of them seemed to be holding their breaths. Keith seemed afraid also, scared he'd be rejected, left to rot on this planet for another two years. Lance wanted to slap that look off his face, scream into his ear that no one was getting left behind. 

Allura looked between all three women critically, waiting to see what Shiro would say. Something about her expression threw Lance off, she seemed guarded, reluctant, as opposed to her cheerful, diplomatic output when meeting new allies. There was something she wasn't telling them and it put Lance on edge. Shiro gave a sharp nod, hesitation almost nonexistent. "Of course." 

Keith smiled an impossibly large smile, his allies smiling as well, even if it was only small upturns of lips. Lance wondered how long they'd be trapped here, what they did before helping Keith but decided he didn't want to know. Stardust was a disgusting planet full of criminals and slaves. These girls definitely haven't had an easy life if this is where they ended up. "Alright let's get out of here then. I'll assume you have a Lion down here?"

"Yeah, Pidge cloaked green, she's in an alleyway a couple blocks down." Shiro informed him, the pair already working out a plan to get everyone back safely. 

"If we travel in a group we'll no doubt be called upon as suspicious." The alien with the blue skin, Chera informed them flatly. It was her voice that was similar to Russian in tone. "We'll need to break apart into groups."

"Seeing as Lance, Allura and I know the way, we should split into three groups." Shiro decided, looking around at all the bodies in the room with a considering hum. "Do you all fight?" 

"Yes." Keta grinned a childlike smile, presenting her pronged gun, thankfully not glowing ominously this time. Upon closer inspection Lance noticed Chera had a sword at her hip and Alec had a handgun like weapon strapped around her upper leg, a gun similar but not quite the same strapped around the other. 

Shiro seemed to notice too, tapping his chin in thought before finally pointing at everyone in turn, explaining their role in their escape. He was dragging a finger across the table like surface the switchboard resided on, spinning it this way and that as he spoke, it seemed he was drawing out the plan to himself, the act a comfort more than anything. "Alright I'll go with Alec and one of the refugees? Allura will go with Keta and the other, and Lance with Chera and Keith. Allura and I will leave first, one after the other with a few minute pause so we don't raise too much suspicion and put the refugees in a large amount of danger, then Lance, Chera and Keith. You three will have the most firepower so if things go wrong you'll be able to defend yourself more effectively than us."

"I'm down." Lance nodded in agreement, Allura doing the same curtly, still not offering much conversation. Her silence continuing to fuel Lances curiosity, he decided to save questioning for later though. 

The alien women looked to Keith for an order it seemed, completely ignoring Shiros questioning gazes. Lance wondered what the arrangement was, why they listened solely to Keith. 

"Alright, that's fine with me." Keith gave a sharp nod to his allies who bowed their heads back in reply, the trio beginning to pull apart the room in search of things, bags and boxes being dragged from under tables and pulled from rickety shelving. Both Keta and Alec began pulling small rectangular squares, made from a lumpy sort of metal, out of one of the boxes, spreading them around on the different surfaces while Chera filled a small shoulder bag with assorted items, fabrics, clothes and pieces of technology such as motherboards and wires. 

"What are you doing?" Lance had to ask, fingers curiously poking one of the metal rectangles placed near him. 

Keith shrugged, accepting a little box with a button on it from Chera who remained still and stoic by his side. "I don't need Grin getting his slimy paws on our tech so when we're far enough away I'm blowing it up."

"Lets head down to the lobby and tell Liha the plan." Suggested Shiro, sticking his thumb out behind him and toward the door. "We need to get back before Pidge and Hunk decide to come look for us." 

"Alright." Keith nodded to the women behind him, the trio dutifully following him as the troupe begin the decent down the stairs, illuminated by the cube sitting in Shiros hand. 

As Keta passed Lance, she shoved his helmet and Bayard into his hands, much to his relief. He tugged his helmet on quickly, revelling in the clean air that quickly filled his lungs, though he could still taste the bitter edge of burning rubber on his tongue. 

"I hate you." He muttered with as much venom as possible, which in fairness wasn't much, as Keith walked in step beside him, the trio of alien women behind them and Allura and Shiro a step or two before. 

"I know you do." Is all he said with a shrug, pointedly avoiding Lances imploring gaze as he adjusted the belt of his tight grey pants. After a moment he made a triumphant huff, slotting his own sword in the belt. 

"Did you know you'd live?" Lance asked him slowly, voice hesitant and strained. He somehow didn't want the answer, he didn't want to know if Keith really did expect to die for him.

He shook his head with a small but considerate pout. "No, I was perfectly willing to die.. for you and Blue.." 

It took all Lance had in him not to cry at such a simple sentence. A sentence that confirmed his greatest fear since he came here only an hour prior, but then again, it had probably been his greatest fear for two years, ever since the Red Paladin blew himself up. A fear that Keith, one of the most amazing people Lance had ever met did in fact die for him, Lance, useless seventh wheel Lance. 

"Have you guys been back to earth? I thought after we blew Lotors ship up you guys went home? Did Lotor survive?" Keith asked him in a casual conversational tone, maybe purposely trying to steer Lances thoughts somewhere else, maybe just out of his own curiosity. He's definitely thankful for a new topic though. 

"Nah, we haven't seen Lotor since. Allura doesn't think he's dead but if he isn't he's defiantly not as pretty as he was." Lance snorted a little at himself, voice lowering as he addressed the second part of the question, voice wistful. "As for earth.. we never went back. Turns out the Universe got too used to having Voltron that when we fell of the radar after.. well you know what.. they got afraid that the lack of our presence would entice more criminal activity. They weren't wrong. Turns out space pirates actually do exist!" 

Keith laughed a little into his hand, raising a brow at Lance. "You didn't believe in space pirates?"

"Coran is pretty crazy, everything he says should be taken with a tablespoon of salt." Lance exclaimed metaphorically, gesturing widely with his hands, biting his lip to stop a smile forming. Keith still had one of the most beautiful laughs he'd ever heard. 

"Isn't the saying pinch of salt?" He asked slowly as if questioning whether or not a pinch of salt was the wrong saying, it was cute the way he scratched his neck and looked up to nothing in particular with imploring eyes. Lance snorted. 

"Not with Coran." 

By the time they reached the lobby, Lance felt lighter, the conversations he and Keith easily slipped in and out of during the decent filling him with an energy he hadn't had in awhile, Keith's appearance finally setting in.

"Alright, Liha." Shiro addressed her, she looked up, expression brightening significantly as she saw Keith. "We're getting out of here. Your son with go with Allura and you'll go with me."

"I.." She turned to the floor, eyes conflicted and face contorted in a thoughtful pout. "Very well. If you can promise my son will come to no harm.." 

"You have my word. Allura you're going first, take Keta and Tral." Shiro ordered them, Keta waiting for an approving nod from Keith before she pulled her hood over her head and concealed her gun, little alien boy holding onto the edge of its cape fearfully. 

"Let's go." Allura said as she opened the door with little struggle, her still impressive strength ripping off the automated lock. 

"Jesus Allura." Lance rolled his eyes in a good natured way. She only smirked at him under her hood, disappearing into the street with aliens in tow. 

"How will Shiro know when to go?" Lance wondered aloud, turning to everyone else for an answer. His only response was Keith holding up a small dial like object covered in small buttons. He gave him an unimpressed look, jutting his hip out. "And that is?"

"A communicator Alec designed." Keith explained with a condescending undertone to his voice, instead of it fuelling Lances anger it made him smile a little, Keith hadn't changed much. It was a nice thing to know. "She built it to go undetected by Stardusts scanners." 

"It's so good to see you Keith. I'm so glad you're okay." Shiro smiled warmly, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned against the doorframe. Keith grinned in response. "Better than okay it seems, you've got some amazing friends helping you." 

Alec nodded in reply, her own smile curling her lips and letting fangs spill from her mouth. Chera didn't respond, silent by the stairwell upward.

The com in Keith's hand let out a small, muffled beep that startled Lance, making him jump slightly. Keith curled his lips to stop himself from smiling in amusement as he raised the device to his lips. "Lock." 

"We've passed Zone on the main road." The crackling voice of Keta came through. "Send the scarred one and Alec."

Keith nodded toward Alec, shutting the device off and letting it hang from his hip. "Keta is about two blocks down, so you should be fine to go without raising any suspicion." 

"Thanks Keith." Shiro took his hand, the pair sharing a manly sort of hug before he left the building, a cloaked Alec and worried refugee following behind quickly. 

"So.. why do they call you Lock?" Lance asked awkwardly, shuffling his feet on the group. 

Keith hummed, shrugging in reply as he drew a sword from his hip, fiddling with it nonchalantly while he considered his reply. "When I first came down to Stardusts surface it was Grin who found me, he recognised I was a Paladin just by looking at my armour. It was burnt to hell though. He insisted on calling me Localie, it meant like hero in some language. Anyway when I escaped people took to calling me Lock so that's who I became."

"Wow." Lance whistled, rubbing his arm. "You were with Grin for awhile then?"

Keith growled at the insinuation, shaking his head furiously. As he spoke, his voice rose monumentally. "Grin told me he would send out a message for you guys if I worked as a pilot in his defence squad while I waited. I didn't know what Stardust was back then so I agreed. In the end he was a lying fool who let his guard down and didn't notice the traitors under his nose." 

"I sense a massive story behind that one." Lance commented, beaming at the way Keith laughs. Warm and familiar. 

"Yeah that's one way of putting it. Chera showed me how corrupt Grin was and what he was doing to his so called people, so we escaped together. As far as we could go at least.." He offers a soft smile to the other body in the room, Chera nodding back. Lance couldn't shake the bitter taste that filled his mouth and burnt his tongue, the way Keith said together making his gut twist in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable way. 

"Right well, we should probably go." Lance decided to cut in, voice unnecessarily bitter and rushed, Keith raises an unamused eyebrow in reply. 

"Alec hasn't contacted me yet, we can't raise any suspicion if we want a clean getaway. So no, we're not going anywhere." He deadpanned coldly, taking a step closer to Lance in a threatening way.

"You're not the boss of me, mullet boy." Lance couldn't help the little smile that broke across his face as he used such a phrase, even more amused by the way Keith subconsciously touched his long black locks, heavy with grease and dirt. 

His defence was lame, hands toying with the split ends of his air, voice cracking during the statement. "It's too long to be a mullet now!"

Despite the fact Keith was right, his hair far too long over his eyes to qualify as a mullet anymore, Lance couldn't help but keep using the insult. It was always his favourite. "Keep telling yourself that. Once a mullet, always a mullet."

"Man you're so infuriating, I can't fathom how I ever missed y-" Keith paused abruptly, looking down to the floor as he splutters, Lance felt his face almost crack into a devastatingly mischievous grin.

"You missed me, huh?" 

"Shut your fucking quiznak." 

The ex-blue paladin cackled, bumping his hip into Keith's as he continued to laugh, face soon washed a deep red through lack of breath. 

Keith thanked his lucky stars as his com buzzed, Alec informing him they'd passed Zone, the most popular club on the main street. Without a word he pulled his own black cloak over his head and let it conceal his weapon at his side before the trio exited the building and began a walk down the still gross street, Lance happy to have his helmet back. He took a moment to silently apologise to Chera and Keith who only had cloth wrapped around their necks to defend their mouths and noses from the general stench of the place. 

They walked in mostly silence, Lance purposefully walking a step ahead to lead the others successfully to the Lion without any confusion. It was going smoothly, until Lance took a moment to glance behind him, ensuring Keith and Chera still at his tail. In that moment he ungracefully walked straight into something, impact throwing him back into Keith's arms.

"Fuck, Lance, now you've done it." He heard Keith mutter as he attempted to regain his bearings on the situation, dazed from the impact. Looking up he found himself staring at an alien with skin a soft red, their stature well over six foot. His face was as bulky as his form, seven large and angry eyes staring down at Lance as four large arms rested expectantly on his hips, a growl filtering through his large jaw. Lance didn't miss the metal wrapped around two of his fists, glinting in the final dregs of sunlight. 

"Uhm, sorry bro." Lance began tentatively, Keith helping him back to his feet as he tilted his head to actually look into the mans eyes.

"Watch it, street scum." His voice was deep and reverberated sinisterly through Lances ears. He shuttered. Before Lance could speak again the man pushed him, hard, and he fell again, Keith and Chera thankfully breaking his fall. 

"Hey man he said sorry, lay off." He may not have seen him in two years, but Lance knew Keith's defensive stance anywhere, this alien would be in trouble if he didn't step back. 

"Or what, street scum?" This time the terrifyingly tall man pressed his hand into Keith's shoulder, trying to knock him off his feet. 

To his credit Keith didn't fall, instead he ducked from the mans grasp, keeping his face level and threatening. "Get lost."

The alien snapped, trying to shove Keith again, this time with the goal of hurting him. "Don't you tell me what to do!"

The ex-red paladin was too fast though as he ducked again, now drawing his sword with a clean scraping noise and holding it out to his attacker with a clearly pissed off expression, still offering him an out. Said attacker grinned toothily, fist moving to collide with Keith's face. Without even blinking Keith swung from his reach, spinning around gracefully before pressing the edge of his blade against the attackers still extended wrist. He cut his hand clean off in seconds, the sound of ripping flesh and cracking bone making Lance flinch away. 

The alien howled in unquestionable pain, now on his knees and clutching his wrist close to his chest. 

They had drawn in a large and dangerous crowd of people, with expressions of malice, fear or confusion, most of them looked like they wanted to jump right into the fight. 

"I think we should get going, don't you?" Lance exclaimed rhetorically, pulling on Keith's arm hurriedly.

"No.." Is all he replied with, wrenching his arm free as they watched a fairly large group of thugs run from across the street where they had been observing the fight with lazy amusement. They didn't look happy at all. 

"Keith-"

"If we run down the street they'll catch us, plus we'd be leading them straight to the lion." He explained hurriedly, looking at Chera who pointed to a nearby alley. "Perfect."

"Keith I am not running around this godforsaken planet all day when the Lion is literally a block that way- hey!" He yelped, Keith already running for the alleyway with his ally in tow, Lances sleeve held tightly in his hand. 

"Shut up and trust me, okay?" He shouted over the yelling and curses of the pursuing thugs, he could hear the cracks on gunfire and cowered slightly, instinctively pressing closer to Keith. "They'll catch us if we move on foot,." 

Lance scoffed, attempting to gain his footing and speed alongside the faster duo with him. "Trust you! The idiot that literally blew himself up for me! Yeah right! While I'm at it I'll go find Lotor and give him a big sloppy apology kiss!"

Finally they entered the significantly dimmer side street, Chera moving directly to a ladder bolted precariously to one of the declining buildings sandwiching the alleyway in. She began a perilous climb upward, feet quick on the creaking metal. 

"No fucking thank you, I'll take my chances with the thugs.." Lance raised his hands in defeat as Keith shoved him toward the escape. He yelped before fixing the assailant with an annoyed glare.

"Climb." Keith ordered, pointing to the ladder with a frustrated growl. "Now."

"Bossy." Lance muttered before taking hold of the rusted pole directly beside him. He huffed, swallowing his fear as he began a slow accent, face scrunched up in concentration and heart jumping in fear every time it squeaked or shifted under his weight. 

"Move it." He could hear Keith demand from below him, the thugs finally entering the mouth of the alleyway, gunshots ringingly loud in the air as the illuminated bullets zipped past him almost in slow motion. 

Unable to avoid making a joke to lighten the mood, he grinned nervously. "I'm moving, I'm moving. Just don't look at my ass, kay?"

"Shut your mouth, we don't have time for this." Keith sounded strained, probably due to the angry criminals jeering at them and climbing the ladder below. 

Finally the trio reach the roof, Keith and Chera breaking the ladder from its unsteady perch to push it off, the distant screeches of their attackers piercing the air as the no doubt tumbled to the floor. Lance risked a look over the edge and found a sight he didn't particularly want to see at the base of the three story building, a bunch of armed, bulky men with guns shooting potshots. 

"Alright where too, genius?" Lance asked rhetorically, hands on his hips as he glared at Keith indignantly. "Because I see no way off this shitty roof from here and lots of angry dudes down there!" 

Much to his chagrin, Keith only rolled his eyes in response, pointing back onto the street. "Can you see the Lion from here?"

"No, dumbass, it's invisible." 

He groaned in annoyance, running his hands down his face slowly, Lance almost felt bad, but not quite. "I know that, moron, I meant can you see where it is?"

Oh. Lance huffed, pointing warily into the distance, the side street containing the Green Lion only just visible from his vantage point.

"Alright, lets fly. Chera you have enough fuel?" Keith asked her, sitting on the lip of the roof as he fiddled with his bulky, shin high boot. She hummed positively, shifting on her toes as she leans to check her own almost matching boots, hers a dark brown. 

"Please do not tell me that have rocket boots, please do not tel-"

"We have rocket boots." Keith deadpanned, smirking at the look of horror that passed over Lances face. 

"Fuck that." He steps back, hands up in defence. "I don't even think rocket boots are possible-"

"Calm down Lance and get your ass over here. They're not even rocket boots, just used to make safe landings after high jumps." 

"No. There's a reason I've never seen rocket boots in space up to this point and that reason is simply because they're probably shit, the fact I'm seeing them on you first proves that point!"

Chera decides to take that moment to speak up, her voice exuding bitter amusement as she watched the pair press their foreheads together threateningly. "It's perfectly safe Paladin. For one person." 

"Ex-fucking-cuse me?" The current Red Paladin shouted in a pitch so high it makes him cringe as he whirled around to face her, hands folded as he spoke dramatically. "I think not."

"They're just for making clean descents from high places Lance, Jesus, they're safe." Upon receiving no reply Keith grumbled. "Fucking hell." He lunged at Lance, wrapping him in his arms. Before he could react, Keith had picked him up, holding him over his shoulder with an impressive strength, hands maybe just a little too high on his thigh, but he was probably just overthinking it. His voice wasn't even strained as he spoke. "Let's go, Chera."

"Alright." She hummed, moving to the edge of the roof. "I'll see you over there?"

Lance could feel Keith nod against his flank, but payed it no mind, too busy smacking his fists into Keith's back and head, trying to get free. He heard a little laugh from Chera as she jumped from the building.

"Stop it, or I'll drop you. I'm about to jump, ready?"

"No!" Lance tried to scream but the sound was lost much like the air in his lungs as Keith practically leapt from the roof, barely catching himself on the slight updraft of his boots exuding only just enough force to keep the pair from splattering across the concrete below. "Fuck you mullet!" Lance closed his eyes, unable to watch as the ground taunted him during their sail through the air. He could hear the whizzing of bullets again mixed with Keith's airy laugh. It took far too long before Lance felt them hit the ground, Keith finally letting him too his shaky feet. After a breath or two, Lance thrusted his fist into Keith's arm for the second time that day, scowl on his face. 

"Stop it, I got us down safe didn't I?" Keith gestured to the familiarly disgusting alley they're standing in. The low hum of people running and shouting filled the air. "I can hear people coming, let's go." Lance didn't respond, only grabbing at his sleeve and tugging him toward where the Green Lion should've been. Sure enough as soon as they stood right before where Lance was sure they left it, the Lions maw opened out of thin air, alleyway washing a soft green. 

Much to their relief Shiro, Allura, the refugees and Keith's allies were all safe inside, Hunk and Pidge speaking to them animatedly, faces stretched with excitement. Once the clap of the jaw closing echoed throughout its cockpit, all eyes fell on the entering pair. 

"Holy fucking shit! Keith!" Pidge all but screamed, launching herself forward to strangle Keith in a hug, Lance had to commend the way he remained upright. He could hear someone mirror her shout through her helmet, Matt and Coran shouting in tandem with muffled voices. Hunk joined the hug moments later, helping in Pidges mission to choke Keith to death as they shared an embrace, soft sniffles of Pidge no doubt crying filling the empty space. After a moment they retracted, Pidge glaring at Keith with a terrifyingly threatening expression, he gulped. "I don't know why you're alive or what happened, but I want answers now.."

"Uh actually I think you'll be getting your answers later.." Keta was leaning over the back of the pilots seat, glaring at the controls to the lion, her lip worrying between her teeth. "It looks like we've got company."

Keith jogged across the small space to glare at the little red blips on the screen, Paladins following. "Oh god, not good." 

"What?" Shiro joined him, hand on his back in concern. 

"It's Grins defence force, they've found you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Spanish speaking Lance translations incase you were curious:  
> Dios - God  
> idiota de mierda - Fucking idiot  
> No puedo creerte - I cannot believe you


	4. I'll Have You Know I'm Scared to Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith pilots Red after so long, while Lance struggles with his fear of losing his place in the Universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse the massive gap between chapters! No excuse except school just went back and I've been exhausted. Hopefully I'll get back on track asap but in the mean time I present chapter four.  
> To be honest, I'm not very happy with how this chapter ended, but I do like the beginning.
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Jersey by Mayday Parade

"Pidge get us out of the atmosphere before they start firing!" Shiro commanded, taking off his helmet momentarily in an attempt to reconnect to their coms. 

"On it." She swung gracefully over her seat, taking place before the controls as she gripped the gearstick, the Green Lion humming to life under her control. 

Lance cheered, his own radio connection solidifying as he tuned into the nervous conversation shared between Matt and Coran. "Hey guys!"

"Lance! We're glad you're back, we were starting to get worried when your helmets cut us off." Coran sounded relieved, heaving a heavy breath as a clicking is heard. "The fighters are moving in from the south and they're moving fast too, you all need to get out of there."

"You should be able to go full throttle out of the protective barrier, it'll detect you, obviously, but they won't have enough time to attack." Alec explained, bracing herself against the wall, ears flat against her head. 

Hunk gave a small squeak. "You know guys I'm getting pretty tired of all the 'shoulds' today."

"What is happening! Will my son be okay!" Liha asked worriedly, pressing her son into the wall as to protect the silent little boy. 

"Just go!" Keith gripped the back of the seat tighter. 

Pidge rolled her eyes but heeded the command regardless, Green now airborne and slowly picking up speed, Grins fighters buzzing across the sky above them, fast and clearly experienced. "Well two years did nothing to change your attitude." 

"We'll be fine, Liha." Lance said with the steadiest voice he could, giving her a dazzling smile that clearly did little to quell her fear. 

Keta spoke with excitement. "It doesn't look like they know where this ship is exactly, you've got an advantage." 

"Um it's not a ship, it's a sentient metal Lion made by the Alteans." Lance crossed his arms indignantly, falling forward just slightly with a rough turn from Pidge. "Watch it, kiddo!"

"Don't call me kiddo, you know how much that pisses me off." She growled, purposefully jostling the Lion again just to watch Lance fight to keep balance. 

"You'll always be kiddo to us, kiddo!" Matt had joined in playfully.

"These are the people you were so sure would save us?" Keta looked at Keith with an unimpressed eyebrow raise, he shrugged lazily. 

"Pretty much, yeah." 

"Hey is there a way I can put Matt and Coran on like loud speaker?" Pidge wondered, leaning forward to flick a switch or two. 

"Next to your left gearstick there's a set of buttons." Explained Coran. "The one on the far right middle should project all incoming communication."

"Sweet." Pidge located and pressed said button, hooting happily as the voices from the castle played from inside the Lion. 

"Hey guys." Keith greeted, earning himself a squawk of glee from Coran and a soft laugh from Matt. 

"Hey Keith, it's been awhile." 

"Only four years." 

Hunk tried to hide his shaking voice as he stared out with window. "I really don't mean to break this up but there's more of them and they're flying closer. How'd they find us anyway?" 

"Probably because Keith decided to cut the hand off some dude!" Lance pointed at him accusingly, he only huffed in response and crossed his arms. 

"They picked up on your coms, don't blame me! I was protecting your stupid ass anyway!" 

"Protecting? I disagree. I could of handled the jerk."

"You've been back for less than an hour and you're already at each other's throats. As much as I've missed your bickering can you calm down and work together for two minutes?" Groaned Shiro, Allura petting his back in vague comfort. Despite the fact he looked exhausted, there was a joy lifting his tone that Lance hadn't heard in a long time. In made his heart swell with familiarity. "Lets just get out of here, Pidge?"

"I think you're gonna need to hang onto more than your Bayard for this one." She responded tensely, biting her lip as they approached the field that would no doubt detect them. 

"Oh god oh god." Said Hunk, biting his nails. "I think I might throw up." 

The Lion jolted mid flight, the copious amount of people inside moving abruptly with it. Lance slammed into the wall with a groan as it steadied out, Keith offering his ungloved hand in silent help. He took it gratefully, righting his footing as Keith addressed the presently green Hunk, skin tone rivalling the Lion they occupy, with a curious eyebrow raise. "You still get motion sick?" 

"No no, special occurrence." He blanched with a choked noise. 

"Fucking shit balls, I think they've tracked the Lions exact signal." Pidge said between shifts of her gearsticks, eyes now glazed over with focus. "They've started firing, we need backup."

"Language Katie." Matt said in an attempt at lightening the mood, voice dropping serious as he spoke again. "We can't bring the Caslte in any closer, they've got canons circling like satellites, they'd have us pinned before we could do shit."

The Lion jolted again as more bullets rained its body, Chera spoke. "Do you have more of these Voltron Lions?"

"Mhm, four." Hunk managed to gasp out between his shaking breaths, carefully trying not to vomit all over Greens cockpit, Lance momentarily annoyed that he wasn't so controlling when he threw up in Blues all those years ago.

"Make a victory run for your Mothership and then turn to face them with double the firepower." 

"Could we make it without Green getting destroyed?" Allura asked no one in particular, her ethereal eyes watching the growing mass of small fighters warily, they were so similar to the ones they had fought two years prior against the Galra. 

It was Coran who answered her with a hum. "Yes, if Pidge focuses entirely on getting back here."

"Sounds good, Pidge get back to the castle." Shiro said. 

"No pressure." She drawled sarcastically, but pressed both her gears forward commandingly, Lion reacting instantly as the shimmer of its cloak fell. "We're going naked, I need all my power for this."

Lance watched from the window nervously, the disgusting Stardust shrinking in a satisfying way, its details slowly becoming less intelligible as it turned into a smokey mass of a green akin to dirty swamp water. It would have been a comforting feeling to leave the planet if it wasn't for the massive group of fighters shooting at them, no signs of letting up. 

"You're almost there, keep it up Pidge." Matt cheered, earning a growl from Pidge. 

"Get the particle barrier up, now." Said Shiro commandingly. "We're coming up to the Castle."

A moment later the magnificent Castle was in view, Green Lion finally moving around the asteroid the ship had been using as a cover not far from Stardusts atmosphere. 

"We need to get Allura on the ship and a wormhole open, no way can we fight out of this." Matt said with a worried edge to his tone, probably seeing the mass amount of fighters moving in impressive coordination toward them. 

Pidge flew the Lion toward the hanger, particle barrier dropping for just a moment so she could pull the Lion into its place, the sounds of fighting still coming from outside. With a clang, it's metal jaw fell open to allow everyone to exit. 

"Pidge, cover us. We'll be out in a second." Shiro spoke into his helmet. She didn't reply, only let the Green Lion hop out of the hanger and into battle. "Alright, Allura take the refugees and open up a wormhole, everyone else get to your lions!"

"Um, what about Keith?" Lance pointed to him tentatively as Hunk made for his Lion and Allura the bridge with Tral and his mother in tow. 

"No it's fine I can-" He began, only to pause halfway, a small smile befalling his face as he rested a hand against his abdomen. "I can hear Red." 

"Go then." Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes conveying pride, before running for his own Lion.

"What of us, Lock?" Chera asked him with a soft eyebrow raise, Keta and Alec beside her. 

"Keta and Chera come with me, Alec stay here and solidify our connection with the castle on our communicators." He instructed, the trio nodding dutifully as Alec took their single bag from over Cheras shoulder, a bulky black laptop-like device the first thing she pulls from it as she walks away. 

"I.." Lance hummed a little, a small frown on his face as he stuck his thumb out behind him, barely flinching as the Yellow and Black lions barrel from the hanger, floor quaking under their large metal claws. "I'll go to Blue, maybe she'll take me back, for this battle at least."

"Lance.." Keith gripped his arm before he could walk away, eyes sad. "Take Red, this team isn't mine anymore, I have no right to a Lion."

"Yes you do." Lance shook away his arm with more force than he should have. "You've had more right than me for the past two damn years, so go, you dumbass. I'll meet you out there if I can, okay? This is not up for debate."

"Lance?" Keith spoke softer now, tilting his head as Lance looked away sharply, clenching his jaw with finality. 

"Blue boy." 

Lance looked up in confusion at the new voice joining their conversation, it was Chera, her washed out eyes soft. "You're wearing blue for a reason, no?"

He bit his lip, she wasn't wrong. Two years prior he was the damn Blue Paladin, Blue only rejected him to keep Voltron together, perhaps now that things could return to normal she'd let him back in. He had to try, he knew he did because, at heart, in her cockpit is where he belonged. He gave a sure nod, smiling a little at the alien women who nodded in response, her own lips curled softly, so very softly. Keta just scoffed while Keith gave a lop sided grin. 

"Alright-" A crash shuttered the castle as an explosion sounded outside, Lance barely noticed the voices shouting in his helmet. "I'll see you out there, Red Paladin." 

"See you, Blue. Let's go." Keith softly ran his knuckles across Lances arm as he jogged past, following the growl of his Lion, companions following close behind. 

Lance hummed a little, uncertainly curling into his chest as he jogged toward Blue, her shield protected form looming over him ominously. Lance couldn't hear her usual purring when he used to approach her. 

"Uhm.." he rested a light hand against the blue bubble stopping him from piloting her again, the fear of her rejection giving him nausea. He swallowed his bile, thinking back to the words of Chera and Keith. "Blue I know I'm not your Paladin anymore.. but I- I need you to let me in just this once."

Her shield remained in place, keeping him away from her controls. He couldn't help the tears that traced his cheekbones, he felt his legs go weak under him, but fought to remain steady. He couldn't give up. "Keith is back Blue.. Can you believe it? He's back after he fought and died for you and I, and now we owe him the same, we need to protect him this time..please, let me protect him this time.." 

He was about to walk away then, a sob bubbling from his mouth as she seemed to reject him again, but a warm feeling in his chest rooted him in place, the sensation blooming from his heart all through his ribcage and beyond, the soothing rumble filling his throat and stomach, negating his growing feeling of sick. The feeling was so familiar yet so bizarre that it had him crying tears of joy that chased those of sadness down his thin cheeks. Blue was purring. "Hey, girl."

He felt her respond with warmth while the shields fell, her eyes glowing bright and welcoming upon her face as he ran for her cockpit. He couldn't explain it if asked, but as he gripped those familiar gear sticks with shaking hands he felt her speak, a strange out of body experience that left his ears ringing and head buzzing with adrenaline as they bounded out of the hanger, Blue eager and happy to fight under Lances control. 'Let's protect that boy' she spoke. 

As they burst into the battle field Lance pulled his helmet back on, having taken it off to talk to Blue in private, happy to have made the decision seeing as he had wept quite embarrassingly. Blue hummed in his skull, ensuring him it wasn't embarrassing and he needed to focus. He missed her guiding hands, so to speak, Red was never as gentle or motherly. 

"Guess who!" He hollered dramatically to the rest of the team as he began shooting down the smaller fighters drifting a little too close to the castle. He noticed the Red lion moving at impressive yet reckless speeds not far from him, yep, that was definitely Keith. Lance had missed the way he fought with such impulsiveness. Mind you, that was what got him killed. Lance scolded himself, not killed, teleported or something. 

"Lance!" Pidge cheered through his helmet. "You're in blue!"

"Yeah, little lady isn't done with me yet, are you girl?" He ran a thumb lovingly over the gear before pushing it forward to destroy a ship on Hunks tail. 

"I knew you'd do it." Keith spoke, voice somewhat soft, Lance could hear the smile he was speaking through. 

"Allura is creating a wormhole, Paladins." Coran said. 

Matt hummed in agreement, voice distracted again as he no doubt clicked away at a screen. "It will appear on the other side of Stardusts neighbouring planet, Kaveen, we don't need any fighters getting through it so you'll need to make a break for it after the castle."

"So we're playing decoy until the castle gets into the wormhole?" Hunk confirmed, grunting as he slammed his lion into a small cluster of the many fighters. 

"Correct, we're mobilising the castle now. Alec is it? Do you know Altean tech?" Coran asked her, her voice vibrated through the com as she hummed. 

"Somewhat. Lock and I built that mock Altean computer, what can I do?" She responded, clearly having connected herself to the castles coms. 

Matt addressed her next. "We need you to help fix our left booster, come to the bridge, I'll forward a map of the castle to your computer." 

"Lance on your right!" Keith called into his ear, making him jump as he veered left, a beam of solid red bursting overhead only half a moment later as Keith clearly burnt something too a crisp. 

"Watch it mullet!" He called with a heavy breath, levelling himself out as he flew beside Keith who only scoffed. 

"How many times do I have to save your stupid ass before you thank me?" He muttered, Lance could practically hear him rolling his eyes. 

Lance growled, spinning his lion away from Keith's to get a better shot on a Stardust fighter. 

"Now!" He heard Keith say as he froze a fighter, using one of Blues paws to knock it into the surface of the asteroid, which shattered it instantly. Curiously he spun Blue as to put Red into his sights, a small figure dressed in black leaping, in lack of gravity induced slow motion, from her mouth and latching onto a passing fighter. Another figure did the same as the first began to cut into the small fighter using a sword, their form slipping into the cockpit as a clearly dead or unconscious alien drifted out of it. Were they Keith's allies? Lance had to smirk watching them, Keith was lucky to be stuck on Stardust with them, they seem like the right people to befriend on that hellhole. 

"Two fighters subdued." Cheras steady voice confirmed Lances suspicions as the crafts began firing back at their twins on the opposing side, Keith laughing in reply, Lance could never get over the noise. 

"Good work, guys." Shiro commented with a small huff, Black lion being forced back by a small cluster of the ships. "These guys are getting the better of me!"

"I'm on it." Keith and Lance both said at the same time, the pair growling at the other as they took off toward Shiros struggling lion. 

"Fuck!" Keta gasped, her and Cheras fighters moving to reconvene before Red as Keith too froze up, lion seemingly rooted floating in space. Lance dropped his speed some as well, tilting his head as he kept his eyes on Red. 

"Shiro we need to regroup, now." He said, everyone humming in confusion at his suddenly very wary voice. 

"Why?" Hunk asked him as Yellow shot a ship down. 

Pidge gave an agreeing grunt. "Keith we're kicking ass. Why would we need to regroup?"

"The castle is fully operational!" Coran cheered, words barely heard by the confused Paladins. 

Matt sounded more forceful, voice insisting he be listened too. "Allura is opening the wormhole now, be ready to move." 

Shiro grunted, Lion getting hit hard by a laser as he escaped from the cluster to move beside Pidge who, despite confusion, had moved to line herself up to Keith's right. 

The now paused Paladins watched in varying degrees of horror as the fighters began to sort themselves in a formation, a slightly different ship sitting in its centre. It wasn't much different, still made of sharp angles and grey, it simply had a large laser mounted on its front, a vibrant and definitely scary blue bubbling from its core. 

"It's definitely him." Chera said softly, Keta groaning. 

"Man I hate this fucker!" 

"Who? Keith what's happening?" Shiro demanded of him as Lance watched the formation closely, suddenly the differences between these and the Galra drone ships they used to face seemed endless. Drone ships didn't have a formation and they certainly didn't have a central ship. He didn't know what to expect as he bit his lip. They couldn't even take out pirates, why would this be any different. But, he side eyed the Red Lion, maybe things would go different now that Keith was among them. 

"I-" Keith huffed in annoyance. "It's Battaligo, he's Grins right hand man, one of the best fighter pilots I've ever seen and, to be honest, a fucking prick."

"A prick with a big gun." Hunk corrected him with a loud swallow.

"Big gun or not, this guys going down." Lance tried to convince them, maybe convince himself, with a loud and cocky voice, sweat slick hands curling and uncurling around his gearsticks as he watched the weapon on the front of Battaligos ship fire, a blue orb drifting through the space before them. 

"Move!" 

He wasn't sure who said it, but was happy to heed the command as he dived out of the way, the orb causing a small but deadly explosion of blue where he had once taken up space. "Shit."

"Chera, Keta follow the castle and keep stray ships off its tail, especially Battaligo. We need to form Voltron!" Keith insisted with a shout, their two fighters following after the now moving castle. Lance winced at the request, fighter formation on the move as they began to dash around Battiligo, successfully protecting him from shots the Palidins fired at him. 

"Hm, 'bout that.." Hunk hummed awkwardly. "See, we can't exactly form, uhm, Voltron." 

"What?" Keith almost screamed, voice no doubt a mix of confusion and rage through Lances com. 

"Calm down, Keith." Shiro mediated with a sad tone. "The lions are all we've got right now, so we need to make use of them. Does Battaligo have any weaknesses?"

"Besides his crippling arrogance and stupidity?" Keta quipped in reply, Keith chortled bitterly at that. 

"I've never fought him airborne before.." he mumbled, firing his laser at some ships drifting toward Lance. "We've only had hand to hand squabbles." 

"We're getting forced back by his damn cannon!" Pidge yelled as another blue bolt blew up only meters from her hull. "It's firing too fast."

"The castle is almost at the wormhole, I think you shout retreat and quick." Matt informed them nervously. 

"Pull back." Shiro spoke in that commanding way he always did when on missions, everyone heeding his words as they pressed their gearsticks forward and pedals down, Lions moving as fast as they could manage after the castle. 

Battaligo didn't follow, and the thought alone made shivers trace Lances spine, happy to finally have the others, and then himself, slipping through the wormhole and appearing anywhere else. 

He had never been more happy to just be floating through dead space when they emerged, wormhole disappearing behind him without a sound as the Lions began to drift toward the hanger, no one dared speak out. 

"Thank you girl.." Lance muttered to his Lion as he powered her down in her designated place, she purred in reply, opening her mouth for Lance to exit. 

It didn't take long for everyone to come together in the centre of the hanger, Chera and Keta having landed their two stolen fighters beside each other in the space. A tense air crushed the Paladins as they waited for a no doubt explosion. Keith didn't deliver, however, and instead spoke in a hollow voice that betrayed his usually angry accusations. He didn't would disappointed, just sad. "You can't form Voltron."

"We've had to adjust to some terrible changes in the time you've been gone." Shiro explained slowly, resting a hand on his shoulder. "But we work well with what we have." 

"Yeah." Hunk smiled assuringly hands on his hips. "Now who's hungry?"

"Oh my god you have no idea." Keta gushed, covering her stomach with her hands. "The last meal I had was prepared by Lock and I'm craving anything else.."

"Uhm ouch?" Keith tried, looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "I thought I was pretty good at cooking!"

Chera gave a grim shake of her head. "Lock you're good at many things, but cooking isn't one." 

Lance had to snort a laugh, happy the tension was dispersing. "Keith tried to cook?"

"Blue boy, I don't think tried is the word." Chera hummed in though, tapping her chin with a pointed nail. 

Keta gave a huff of laughter. "I think the word is failed, Cher." 

"Hey!" Their leader spluttered, making everyone laugh. 

"I'll go prepare some food then." Hunk wiped a tear from his eye, nodding toward the doorway out. 

"That was a close call, Paladins." Allura exclaimed, walking into the hanger with Matt, Coran and Alec in tow, the alien girl engaging in an animated conversation with Matt, her face bright as she seemed to speak about something. Allura bit her lip on the next words, Lance noticed she looked hesitant and that alone made his heart clench. "I'm glad you're back in Blue, Lance." 

"Oh.." He gave her his best smile, but it hurt. He had taken away her title as a Paladin, he knew that, because if they ever wanted to form Voltron again they'd have to fight with Keith in Red and subsequently Lance in Blue. "Yeah, thank you.."

"You guys should go clean up." Shiro motioned to Keith, Chera and Keta with a small wave. 

Allura gave a bright, diplomat smile. "I think I have some spare outfits that you might borrow while we, uhm, disinfect your present garb."

"Your things are all still in your room, Keith." Shiro informed him as he gave a short nod, clearly not adverse to a shower. Lance had to wonder how long it had been, finally taking the time to notice the mud smeared across his cheeks or the blood under his nails. 

"I'll wash up later." Alec decided, pulling her bag close. "I need to remove the tracking technology from the fighters stolen."

"We can do it." Pidge grabbed Matts sleeve and tugged him close. He let out an unmanly yelp before side eyeing his sister. 

Alec smiled warmly as Keith began leading their allies out of the room and toward the showers. "Thank you, Pidge and Matt."

Lance watched them go with a soft sigh, the Holt siblings already working on the fighters with light banter being tossed between them. 

"I don't trust them." Allura practically growled as her eyes followed their leave, she seemed trying very hard to keep her voice neutral. 

Shiro gave her a curious once over. "What makes you say that?" 

"They helped us get out and they protected Keith. How can you not trust them?" Lance almost shouted, but kept his tone steady, swallowing his anger as best he could. 

"I have my reasons." Is all she countered with, ethereal eyes challenging Lances blue ones as Coran and Shiro both moved to disable the tension. 

"Yeah well clearly th-" 

"Lance my boy, let's go see those refugees you saved." Coran took his arm with a bright smile under his moustache. He almost flinched away, happy to keep arguing, but thought against it as Shiro lead the Princess in the opposite direction with a gentle hand on her back. 

He walked beside Coran in silence, the older man clearly not wanting to impose on his thoughts. He appreciated that as they came to the bridge, Coran instantly sitting down quite dramatically on one of the chairs present, Liha and Tral sitting together on another, their forms small enough for the chair to cater for the pair of them. 

"Hey guys." He waved, Liha and her son smiling up at him as he approached, a soft clicking filling the room as Coran tapped away at a keyboard. 

"Hello Paladin." Liha said calmly while her son almost shouted, "Hi!"

Lance was happy to see them both talkative as the trio spoke of where Liha and her son wished to go, a nearby trading planet commonly called Helio, Liha explained that she grew up there and wanted nothing more than to raise her son in such a kind place as opposed to the cruel streets of Stardust. Coran occasionally contributed to the conversation, often supplying a fun fact about either Stardust or Helio. Lance had to wonder how Coran knew exactly what year Stardust banned the space equivalent of toasters or when Helios government accidentally legalised a space drug for a good three years without even realising it, but decided he didn't care as he indulged in the conversation while he waited for Keith to finish cleaning up. It almost made him forget how truly terrible he felt. 

The next time Lance saw Keith only an hour had passed. He was sitting in the observation deck staring out toward the expanse of stars illuminating his face before him, hair finally clean and cut - a mullet again, much to Lances sudden annoyance - and face smooth. He almost looked back to his old self, even those stupid fucking gloves had place again on his stupid fucking hands. As Lance approached him, he couldn't help but drawl. "What, no red jacket? You could finish the 'I never killed myself for Lance' ensemble quite nicely."

He would have loved to have saved the way Keith jumped to memory, his highly offended expression as he turned to face his intruder extraordinarily amusing, not enough to make him drop his anger though. "You're angry?"

"Oh shit, Sherlock, what was your first clue?" 

He winced, but kept his resolve steady as he stood to come face to face with Lance, he loved that he was still taller. "I had to save you." 

"You got yourself killed Keith!" 

"No, I teleported. Lance I'm okay, it's okay." The way his voice remained so calm pissed Lance off, and yet at the same time made him sad beyond belief. How could Keith be so okay with this. With the way he blew up. 

"Yeah well you died here! You died here for two years. That's two fucking years I thought you had actually killed yourself for me." He choked, now yelling through his tears in hopes it would stop them from falling, the news was finally hitting him. Keith died for him. Keith was alive. It was too much to take it, all the guilt he'd been suppressing coming out on full as he fought to justify himself. Why? He didn't know. "That's two years I wondered why you didn't just let me die. Why didn't you let me fucking die."

"Shut up, Lance." He could barely hear him, white noise filling his ears as he unwillingly watched that explosion again. And again. Again. 

"No! You don't fucking understand! I lived with that guilt! With the thought I killed our best pilot and that I-"

"Shut up! God Lance stop." Lance felt warm hands slowly run from his shoulders down to his wrists and wrap around them. The warmth was grounding as his screams slowly dissipated into sobs, wet and heavy sobs. He could finally see Keith, imploring violet eyes black in the low light. 

"But I- you-" He continued to breathe heavily, lungs seemingly unable to take in air. 

"Stop. You're getting hysterical, breathe Lance it's okay.." Was Keith hugging him now? He couldn't tell.

"I-" 

"I blew up that claw to save you Lance.." Yes he was hugging him, he could feel the way his breaths tickled his tear stained cheeks as strong, maybe a little thin, arms kept him steady.

"Do- do you regret it?" Lance didn't want the answer, but at the same time that's all that mattered to him, he needed to know if it was worth it. If his life was worth it. 

"Never." Keith supplied in such a soft voice, Lance closed his eyes, focusing solely on that voice. "Come on, lets go get some dinner, okay?"

"Yeah.." Lance stepped back with a grateful nod, wiping at his cheeks defensively. He huffed an almost forced laugh, brushing off the soft look in Keith's eyes and the way his lips curled into a small frown. When Lance didn't move from his place, Keith curled a hand around his own, and they walked out of the observation room. 

Hand in hand.


	5. I'm Sorry For Everything I've Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the group share dinner Allura's concern comes to light while Lance suffers with his nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Shorter chapter I'm so sorry, I'm trying to break out of a really terrible bout of writers block so I'm not too proud of his one. The plot is okay at least, pretty confident there.  
> Uhm do excuse all mistakes and such, I will edit this chapter again in the near future, I assure you, I just wanted to update as soon as possible and over the last month this is all I've produced that I'm actually remotely proud of. But I digress, I hope you enjoy it while I hopefully prepare a longer chapter 6, where the fun really begins heh he.  
> Oh yes just a small warning as well for closer to the end of this chapter, there's are somewhat graphic? depictions of murder and just a little bit of brutal imagery.  
> Thank you all x
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Shots by Imagine Dragons

Lance couldn't help the grin that split his face almost in two as he looked down the table in the main dining room, it had never been this full and it made him want to cry again, tears of joy mixed with the raw emotion still settling over his heart as he realised Keith was alive and his mini space family was back together. 

He watched with a light chuckle as Matt, Keta and Pidge bickered at one end of the table, the clearly immature alien girl using her spork like utensil to flick food goo into the young humans hair. Pidge glared at her heatedly before breaking out into a grin, picking the goo from her locks and flicking it back. Keta laughed openly. Further to the middle of the table sat Shiro, Allura and Coran, the three all leaning inward to speak without yelling, Lance still couldn't shake his anger at Allura for being untrusting and not even giving a coherent answer as to why. The refugees and Hunk sat beside them, Liha and Tral not ceasing their constant stream of compliments aimed at Hunk for feeding them real food, he only smiled bashfully in reply.

Chera and Alec sat up closer to Lance, the pair next to Keith. The trio were speaking with soft voices and small smiles, clearly indulging in memories and thoughts only known to them. As Chera ran a light palm over Keith's upper arm Lance was gripped with anger, maybe jealousy, bile filling his throat as he wondered whether or not the pair were a couple. 

He bit his lip, looking back to his barely touched plate. Why the hell would he care if they were a couple? 

"So tell me, Lance." He jumped, looking into the eyes of Alec, a hand propping her chin up onto the table as Keith proceeded to eat his meal, Chera now silent at his side. Lance tried to smile, but found himself grimacing and only hoping she didn't notice. "Is it true you are the best gunman in this galaxy?" 

Lance grinned his most charming grin at that, looking to Keith for a moment, only to find the ex paladin glaring at Alec in offence. "That is what they say."

She hummed, smiling back at Keith for a moment. "As a gunslinger, that's the phrase isn't it? Well, as a gunslinger myself I was wondering if you'd give me a demonstration?"

Lance opened his mouth to reply, a small flush of embarrassment dusting his cheekbones as Keith let out a small huff, silencing him. "Okay okay, you made your point, quit it!" 

Alec laughed loudly, small fangs spilling from her mouth as she winked comically at Keith. She seemed more relaxed than earlier, content to lean back into a conversation with Keith. 

What?

Lance shook his head free of his confusion. What point was she trying to make? He decided not to question it, feeling like the outsider to their inside jokes and otherwise. 

"I still would like to see your skills though. Would the infamous Red slash Blue paladin train with me in the coming days?" Alec looked genuinely curious, a friendly smile on her face this time, lacking that malicious undertone. 

"Yeah sure!" He grinned a little, it would be nice to see another fighting style that he could use to adapt and further his own ability. He hadn't changed up his training for almost too long. 

"So." Allura's loud voice called hush over the whole table, all eyes now fixed onto her commanding figure sitting almost centre of the large table. Lance sneered at her overly kind voice, aware of the very hostile clip it had. A quick glance at Keith told him he seemed aware of it as well, his eyebrows lowered defensively as she spoke. "Keith how exactly did you meet your dear companions?"

All eyes were now on Keith and he ducked his head at the sudden change of focus, Lance found it far too endearing as he looked up with a flushed face, the determined glint in his eyes didn't fade though as he spoke with as much confidence as he could muster. "Oh, well it's a bit of a long story." 

"We have time." Shiro's voice was far more comforting than Allura's as genuine curiosity painted his features. 

This seemed to sedate Keith as he delved into his tale, a phrase occasionally corrected by one of his female companions and friends. "When the, ah, trap teleported me across the galaxy I landed on a moon of Stardust where Grin and his forces found me. He knew I was a Paladin and took me in. Long story short Chera lived in his castle thing and ultimately showed me how corrupt his governing was and how only Victory Road, the Main Street, was actually decent, Grin never let me go anywhere else. Chera and I took off and ended up in the Vetok district. We started freeing slaves from their owners and shit like that which lead to us meeting Alec and Keta.." 

"Lock, I actually saved your ass and you can't tell me otherwise." Keta exclaimed. 

Keith snorted. "You literally stopped me from tripping over." 

"Yes, and you would have been caught if I didn't." She continued indignantly. 

"We were already back at our base, Keta." 

"A base that was thankfully kept free of you falling down!"

"My hero. "He deadpanned before smiling softly at the memory. 

Lance was still captivated, unable to shake his mind of the way Keith relayed his story, the way the once broody lone wolf spoke with confidence and animated gestures. 

"It'll take us only a quintent to reach Helio, then we must begin training to form Voltron again." Allura cut their laughter with her icy tone again, eyes sharp. "Keith you'll need to learn to work with the team again."

Keith gave a nod of agreement but there was still hesitation in his eyes. "And I will, after Alec, Chera and Keta are home."

At this Allura raised a threatening eyebrow, the table was now becoming scarily quiet. "Your criminal refugees will be going to Helio." 

"I am escorting my friends back to their home planets, I refuse to dump them on some shitty, alien planet to them alone." Lance could cut the tension with a knife as Keith scowled deeply, he wasn't backing down. And neither was Allura. 

"You need to train that should be your first priority." 

The fact that they weren't yelling made it all the more terrifying to watch. Lance bit down on his lip so hard he could taste the bitterness of his own blood. 

"My first priority is my friends." He ground out. 

"No Keith!" Now Allura was on her feet and yelling, her fists clenched at her sides. "Your team is more important! The universe is more important!"

"Chera, Keta and Alec are my fucking team! And they have been for the past two years when you lot were off somewhere else!" He stood up as well, chair getting knocked forcefully to the ground. "You want Voltron so fucking bad? How about you form it then!" 

"Guys can't we just-" Shiro couldn't finish, Keith was already stalking out the room with loud and purposeful steps. 

Keta proceeded to glare at a still fuming Allura as the room fell into an awkward silence. "If you truly were his team you'd care more for his wellbeing."

With that the Stardust trio escaped the room, following Keith's path of distraction. 

"Well shit." Pidge breathed. 

"I'll go talk to him." Lance offered, already on his feet as Hunk and Matt volunteered to clear the table, Allura halfway out the opposite door grumbling about disloyalty and traitors. 

"I think it's best we let him cool down for a bit." Shiro used his dad tone, signifying no room for argument. Lance huffed, sitting back down with arms folded. Shirt nodded, mollified as he turned to a clearly shocked Tral and Liha. "Sorry about that, would you like to head to your room for the night?"

Liha nodded kindly, smiling. "Please. Bless you Paladins. Goodnight." 

Everyone called out good nights to the pair as Hunk volunteered to escort them to the temporary quarters. 

"Why can't we just drop Keith's friends at their planets and be done with it? We could train on the way." Lance scowled, clearly that was the solution. Right?

Coran shook his head solemnly in reply. "Unfortunately I know Allura and I know she holds grudges." 

"I'm sorry?" Pidge leant forward, curious. 

The Altean man sighed quietly, expression distant. "Before Zarkon destroyed Altea he sent in an army to try and force Alfor to surrender. He didn't have access to all the drones he used now and didn't want to waste Galra life so used a recently enslaved planets species to do it, Cheras species, Endons. They, particularly the males are built like tanks with animalistic instincts and traits. Most Endons were wiped out when Zarkon eventually destroyed Altea and couldn't be bothered pulling them back. The rest were sold around the universe as slaves until they were so thin spread that they're considered extinct and only halfbreeds exist."

"So Allura is pissed off at a member of a basically extinct species that was forced to invade her planet and payed just as much of the price is on her ship." Lance filled in with an unimpressed expression, Allura was a diplomat, how on earth did she have so many grudges? 

"Well that among other things. I know that spurred her distrust. I assume you all remembered her discovering Keith half Galra?" 

"Talk about judging a book by its cover, man." Matt sighed.

"Yes. Right now it's time to get some rest I think. Big day tomorrow!" Coran clapped his hands, standing up. 

"Right, goodnight guys." and with that Lance wandered off to his own room, concern still lacing his brain.

As he arrived he unconsciously opened his notebook, but paused with pen in hand. What could he possibly write? This notebook was dedicated to Keith, well the memory of, now that he was back did it really feel right?

Lance groaned, tossing the book to the floor and flopping ungracefully onto his back. He needed a long, hot shower and a bloody good sleep. This was all too much and he was sure it hadn't quite hit him like the truck it was just yet. He best sleep before he's crying again at the prospect of Keith truly still being alive. 

He huffed, wiping his eyes. Oh fuck, too late. 

It was just too surreal to Lance, impossible. The universe it meant to be infinite and if not that then pretty fucking big, what were the chances of Keith actually coming back to them? 

Lance was once a big believer in fate and destiny, he always thought that in a universe so vast, things were bound to happen for a reason, there were no coincidences but after Keith's hero stunt he decided fate was bullshit because no way was Keith's fate to die for him. 

That's just stupid. 

And yet here they were, perhaps it was fate. Fate Keith would come home, fate that Lance would be the one to find him. He snorted at his own train of thought. He was definitely too tired. 

With a deep yawn he stood up and took his Altean bath robe from his closet, shower and then sleep. 

And after preforming his extensive skincare routine that's what he did. 

Lance had experienced terrible, terrible nightmares over the past few years, each more horrifying than the last. Though their level of brutality ranged, they had a common theme, the presence of Keith. 

He was always there, at a party one night, a school the next, always in sight but never close enough for Lance to touch, no matter how hard he tried to get to his pale frame. 

The baron loneliness that came with being unable to talk to a figure he'd missed for so long wasn't the worst of it, of course. No the worst part of these nightmares was the way Keith would die. 

Most of the time he would get blown up, caught in an explosion that barely missed Lances feet, an explosion the same colour as the one that teleported him but on the worst nights his death was a little more vile. 

One night he had his throat slit inches from Lances face, Lotors hand delivering the final blow as violet eyes would darken and Keith would crumble like blocks to the floor. Another he was shot by Lances own bayard, Lance somehow always shooting him despite never even pulling the trigger. The worst nights were when Keith would suffer, when the death wasn't quick and brutal but instead slow and agonising. Like burning or drowning. He'd seen both enough to actively avoid the pool room in fear of seeing Keith's lifeless body drifting across the surface. 

But the dream he had the night Keith returned somehow topped all of those. 

Keith was there, as usual, walking down the Hal's of the castle, he was blurred but Lance knew it was him from the way he moved, graceful, untouchable. But he knew how it ended. 

Finally he followed the figure into the hanger but it wasn't the hanger, it was the base Keith and his friends used, still dirty and heavy with dust.

Lance didn't have time to lament on that however, eyes now trained on Keith in the centre of the room, hands wrapped around the claws choking him. They belonged to a figure Lance couldn't see, but knew somehow it was Grin, choking the life out of Keith who kicked and cried out, throat slick with his blood. 

"Lance-" 

He couldn't find his voice, couldn't move. Keith never called out for him in his dreams, Keith knew he was there but he couldn't do anything. He couldn't even cry. 

"Lance- wa-"

His screams were silent as he tried so hard to save Keith, Keith who's eyes were trained on him in a silent plea. 

"No!" He gasped, body suddenly overcome with a shock of pain as eyes flew open and he found himself on the castle floor in his dim room. 

"Fuck me.." His voice was shaking as he felt for the tears no doubt sliding down his cheeks. 

"Lance.."

He jumped violently, turning to meet the very same eyes of the Keith he'd just watched be strangled to death. "Shit, Keith what's happening? Are- are you okay?"

Keith smiled through the darkness, but from what Lance could tell it wasn't a happy smile. It didn't make it any less beautiful though as he knelt in front of Lance quietly running a thumb along his cheekbone. "I'm alright. You're crying."

"I'm alright." He echoed, almost leaning into the touch. He removed his hand and Lance almost whined at the loss of warmth but held his tongue, looking up at Keith curiously, nightmare still hanging over his head as he tried to distract himself. "What's up?"

Keith shrugged a little, nervous tension in his shoulders as he offered a hand to Lance, pulling him back to his feet effortlessly before letting him lie back onto his bed with a satisfied yawn. "I'm sorry.."

Lance opened an eye he didn't realise he closed, that nightmare really drained him, before humming at Keith curiously. "Wha?"

"I didn't mean for it to end this way.." Keith laughed a little absently running fingertips across Lances wrist. 

"It's okay, man.." Lance yawned again, the presence in his room somewhat comforting. For once he felt still creeping back up on him. "It's all good now, you're home."

Keith hummed, silent afterward but hand still on Lances arm. The touch was grounding enough for Lance to start dosing off, he almost didn't hear Keith. "I'll see you again soon, okay? I promise." 

"Mmkay.." Lance murmured, turning onto his side. "G'night buddy.."

He heard Keith chuckle as he fell asleep, tired ears barely catching a whispered goodbye. 

The rest of his night was a dreamless bliss. 

The next morning he awoke to a weight on his chest, a weight he assumed to be Keith as he hummed curiously to their insisting shakes. Cracking open his eyes he sighed in tired disappointment as Pidge sat on his stomach with wide and angry eyes. "Where is he? Lance!" 

She was shrieking, a noise Lance didn't want to hear so early in the morning. He mumbled, taking in the way she shook with panic and anger. "What's up, Pidge?"

"Keith is gone!" 

Lance sat up quickly at that, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands before meeting her gaze, his own panic rising as he tasted bile in his throat. "What?"


	6. If They Find You, I Will Protect You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lance worries for Keith, Allura and the others work on tracking him down, but that’s before they get a call from a mystery ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and a Happy New Year Everyone!  
> I hope y’all have a happy holidays and an amazing 2018!  
> I’m pleased to announce I think I’m over my writers block and though this chapter is short I’ll be hopefully producing more regular entries to this story, but we will see.  
> Thank you so much for the support and feedback, I really really appreciate it.
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> The Last Of The Real Ones by Fall Out Boy

Lance was worried. 

Actually no, worried was an understatement. Lance was several stops past worried and down a whole backstreet of distress. 

More than worried, however, Lance was pissed. 

How dare Keith show up after two years of being assumed dead, ominously sneak into his room and then fuck off to god knows where the next day! 

How dare he make Lance relive that guilt! The guilt of realising once again he'd let their best man go. This time though his nightmare dizzy haze. If only he'd been more aware he would have noticed that Keith wasn't saying goodnight the night before, no he was saying a fucking goodbye. 

He knew he was being selfish, and in the long run, he realised Keith had every right to disappear again. Allura made it perfectly clear she wasn't catering for his friends any longer than necessary which instantly forced him to go, lest he be able to protect them. 

He knew it was Allura's fault he had stormed off probably in a fit of spite, but couldn't find it in himself to blame her when throwing himself under the bus was so much easier. 

Apparently, the others shared his mindset. 

"How can you not remember?" Allura was practically shouting in his face, thin finger pressed against a screen playing camera footage of the night prior, an image of Keith sneaking into Lances room and out again twenty minutes later on repeat, his allies standing guard in the hall. "Surely he told you where he was going!" 

"He didn't tell me where he was going!" Lance tried to say again, but the exclamation was drowned out by the bickering transpiring between Pidge and Matt on how to best track Keith. 

Lance took the temporary lapse in attention on himself to gather his mind again and wipe at the moisture forming on his eyelashes. They weren't exactly tears of sadness, more frustration at this point. 

He didn't really understand why it was necessary they found Keith instantly, they still had five Paladins and he didn't take a lion. It hurt though, god, it hurt, to see Keith go again, but Lance knew Keith would stay true to his word, he'd see Keith again. Even if it took years. At least Keith was alive, right? As attention was pulled back onto him, he repeated this mantra. Keith was alive, Keith would be back. 

"We have to find him." Allura exclaimed tightly, eyes dark and terrifying. Lance didn't like being at the receiving end of the sour glare. "He is a threat and an enemy of Voltron, I have already put a bounty on him to all our supporting planets." 

"What!" Lance was suddenly feeling a little less calm and, unsurprisingly, fucking furious. "Why the fuck-"

"Lance.." Shiro scolded, but there was no real bite. "Allura knows what she's doing." 

"Do you though?" Lance hissed at the newly decided she devil, who was raising her chin in indignation. "Keith is one of us!"

"He blatantly disobeyed orders and took off with his criminal associates." 

Lance bit his lip so hard he was surprised not to feel blood dribble down his chin. He wanted so badly to scream at Allura, but he held his tongue, quite literally, between his teeth. His mama taught him to treat ladies with as much respect as possible, and he'd be damned if he disappointed his mama all the way up here. That didn't of course stop him from screaming in general. So he did, a loud and angry noise passing his lips as he called a silence over the frantic room. Even Allura stopped, glaring at him daringly, almost begging him to dare question her again. "He said he'd come back and I believe him. He's not your property or the property of Voltron, okay? Keith lived a whole other life without us, met new people and fought for a new cause. He may be the real Red Paladin-" Lance choked a little, he couldn't stop now. "-but he's not just a member of Voltron! Let him do what he wants, even if it means leaving us just for a little bit. We've done okay without him this long, right? I've done okay.."

He closed his mouth sharply, looking away. He couldn't let them see the way Keith's supposed death and now disappearance made him feel. He couldn't let them see Keith could break him just like that. He wasn't weak. He wasn't! 

Allura's gaze softened just slightly, pity almost sitting in her eyes as she watched Lance. He hated the look, he hated pity from anyone, now it was just cruel. "Lance.. Keith belongs here. Don't you see what his disappearance does to us as a team!" 

Shiro gave an agreeing nod, eyes sad. Lance bit back a cruel retort, he always forgot Shiro was just as close to Keith.

"We hacked security footage on a nearby trade station not far from here, the fighters Keith's friends stole traveled through there only a varga or two ago." Pidge informed them, without her usual mirth. Pulling apart systems and technology usually had her in joyous mood all day, clearly she was reaping the negatives as much as the others. 

"Very well, Coran ready the castle, we move in ten dobashes." Alluras voice was somber as she gave Lance a final once over, waiting for him to get angry again but he didn't. He was spent, tired and frustrated. He wanted to go home, but most importantly, he wanted to see Keith again. 

Who knew a single night apart could feel like more than two years? 

Keith grit his teeth, pressing down on the joystick controlling the fighter he was in, Chera running blue fingers up and down her thin rapier like sword absently, washed out gaze flickering between Keith and the constantly moving view of space whizzing past through the thin window. 

In the fighter directly parallel to them sat Keta and Alec who were just as silent, following Keith's movement almost exactly as they travelled. 

Keith finally snapped, eyes flitting to Chera with a short growl. "I'm fine, stop doing that."

She gave an offended eyebrow raise. "Doing what, Lock?"

"Whenever I'm angry you always make that concerned mother face, stop, I'm fine." He explained shortly, grip tightening on the handle. 

Chera gave a quiet snort before quieting down. "Keith.. you know you didn't have to come with us? You could have stayed with him."

Keith bit back a blush, growling again as he ignored her words. He wanted to stay, to protect Lance like he did years prior. But he knew deep down Lance didn't need protecting, he knew how to fight and he knew about the universe. His friends from Stardust however lacked that knowledge. He wasn't letting the people that helped him escape go home alone. He was going to get them there. Then he could protect Lance. 

For what reason? He didn't really know. Just somewhere, deep in his bones he knew his place was beside Lance, be it a friend or something else. They were destined to fight together again. That's why he didn't give up on Stardust. 

"You're a funny boy, Keith.." Chera smiled ever so softly. "And I am happy you're here."

"Yeah.." Keith bit his lip, avoiding her gaze. 

"And the Blue Boy.." Chera huffed a quiet laugh. "He'll wait for you're return.."

Keith smiled sardonically, shaking his head. "That's what I'm worried about."

Allura was staring absently out the large window opening space to her, eyes barely taking in the flickering lights of stars and planets and ships, mind slowly processing the past few days. 

She was exhausted and angry, not exactly the greatest combination and it didn’t help that Lance kept pushing her buttons. 

She didn’t want to make Keith leave, she didn’t want to have to find him. If she could she would let Keith go and do what he pleased but Allura was no stranger to sacrifice, and how important the universe was over everything else.

Threats were rising again and Voltron, the defender of the fucking universe, was in no position to fight anything. Allura needed it to be in the best condition possible, the universes safety was their number one priority. 

Shiro knew it, Pidge knew it, hell she even knew Hunk had knew it but Lance and Keith, Allura had to laugh, they had no idea how what they did would affect them all. 

All they saw was each other. 

Allura wished sometimes she could too.

She gave a final sigh, turning on her heel to leave the room as her deft hands moved to tie soft, still loose hair into a neat ponytail but a small beeping making her pause, eyes drifting to the control panel at the centre of the room. 

She walked toward it with a curious hum, quick fingers tapping on the screen that buzzed in response, a small warning printed in Altean informing her an incoming ship wanted to make a visual connection. 

Allura raised a curious brow, pressing her finger to the alarm button, waiting patiently for the Paladins, Matt and Coran to join her in the room. It took them less than twenty ticks, all but Lance who took an extra ten. She decided not to comment on it this time as Shiro asked her what was wrong. 

“We’ve been contacted by a mysterious ship, all their systems are blocked, I can’t tell if they’re hostile or not. Matt and Pidge can you hack it?”

Matt and Pidge shared an amused glare, Pidge answering, “Is there anything we can’t?” before sitting in her Paladin chair, Matt perching on the arm.

“Coran make sure all our systems are protected from any potential virus’s, I’m going to answer the visual call.” She informed them, Coran nodding dutifully and getting to work while the other Paladins sat in their own chairs. 

Allura breathed in softly, pressing her thumb against her screen and allowing the large surface before her to glitter to life, a distorted and unfamiliar face sitting in the centre. 

From first glance Allura could discern that the face was a Gendan, a once prosperous, lawful species that was an ally to Alfor some years before Altea’s destruction. From what she was aware Zarkon had destroyed their planet as well and all survivors were forced to flee. 

At least there were survivors. 

This Gendan looked male with high cheekbones and two sets of eyes, his skin a soft orange peppered with golden markings disappearing over the top of his large flat ears and hairless head. What made Allura twitch uncomfortably was the rich purple coat around his shoulders and the jewellery hanging from each possible point on his body. 

His voice called a silence over the room. “Princess Allura of Altea. I didn’t think it were true any of your people could have possibly survived if I hadn’t seen it myself.” 

She gave a thick swallow, holding her head up highly as she regarded his hollow, almost patronising tone. “My thoughts exactly on the Gendan. Seeing as you’ve already introduced me for you, I must ask who you are and why you have contacted our ship.”

He smiled thinly in reply, three rows of teeth making only a small, warning appearance. “You’re a snarky one aren’t you. My name is Grindlewell and I am the founder and creator of the legendary Stardust..”

Allura tensed up a little at his answer, this was Grin, but kept her head forward and shoulders steady as he continued.

“Princess, princess.. you must be aware I know that you and your so called powerful Lions of Voltron came without clearance onto my planet and I know what you took. If you do not return Lock and those quiznaking girls to me this instant I will be forced to pursue and destroy you.” Another thin smile, this time all the teeth spilling out in threat. “I am a powerful man, Allura. Give me my property and you will live.”

She gave a shuttering intake of breath, stealing herself to rebuttal his pathetic attempt at a threat, but of course Lance had to make a remark. 

“You listen to me you ugly fuck.” He rose to stand beside Allura on her platform, voice dark and unnerving as he spoke to Grin. “If you so much as lay a slimy finger on Keith, or his friends, I promise you I will break your motherfucking neck.” 

Grin seemed to shift a little, eyes now trained on Lance as his eyebrowless brow furrowed in amused confusion. “You’re Lance aren’t you? Yes you must be.. selfless, beautiful Lance.. oh Lock spoke a lot of you.”

Allura was hit by a sudden wave of protectiveness, taking a measured step closer to the screen and between Grin and the human now behind her. Lance didn’t seem much deterred though, his disturbing comment only making him growl low in his throat. “We refuse to your terms, Grin. Keith is not yours and we will fight for him.”

Grin gave a small, ominous laugh. “Then we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. Goodbye now, Princess. And you, Lance.. watch your back.”

Allura passed her finger into the screen and Grins face dispersed. Lance and her both let out a breath, sharing a small a smile that she realised meant more than it would look to an outsider. 

As Shiro stood to interrogate Coran on all things he would know about Grin and as Matt and Pidge bickered over the location of Grins ship when he contacted them and as Hunk gave Lance a protective, brotherly hug she realised that smile meant Lance and her had a common ground again. 

They needed to find and protect Keith.


	7. One More Troubled Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith begins his journey with his friends while Lance hatches a plan that could make him incredibly unsavoury enemies out of some of his closest friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It’s been such a long while and I do apologise, I’m presently halfway through my senior years at school and I’m absolutely swamped.  
> Ironically enough I wrote this chapter halfway through my exams.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway and I apologise it’s so short. I hope to get back to this actively soon.  
> In the mean time I hope you all enjoy!! 
> 
> Mood of the chapter:  
> Alone Together by Fall Out Boy (I think I use them too much haha)

Liha gripped Lances gloved hand tightly, eyes large and glassy as she smiled so wide he was frightened she’d pull a muscle. “Thank you, for everything. This help shall not be forgotten, Lance of Voltron.”

He gave her a small smile in reply, it didn’t reach his eyes, he just hoped she wouldn’t notice as he looked down at her, small form entering the transport pod they had picked up from a nearby planet. Due to their sudden race against Grin to get back to Keith they couldn’t make the detour to Helio as easily. Liha didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, she was bursting with joy. Lance supposed it was the joy of freedom, something he felt he hadn’t had since becoming a paladin. 

It seemed selfish, but Lance never did enjoy being a paladin. Don’t get him wrong, he loved helping people and saving planets and fighting and being a hero but he hadn’t seen his family in many years. After getting as close as he did with the others the homesickness, though still there, was lessened. He found a family out here, and that was enough to keep him going. 

Of course that changed after that day so long ago, yet somehow seeming like yesterday, when Keith sacrificed himself. 

It made Lance realise that because Keith didn’t have a family back home to go back to, to live for, he’d die for the family he created. That’s why Lance never went back, never fought to go back after the defeat of the Galra. He wasn’t going to go home until he knew the life Keith had created for himself, the universe that he called home was safe. It was the least he could do after everything and yet, it wasn’t enough. He still felt as if he should have died instead, or teleported or whatever. 

He shook his head in annoyance, dragging his tired eyes back to the form of Liha as she helped her son step into the pod, Tral waving back at Lance with a soft smile. “Goodbye, safe travels.”

“Farewell, Lance. Thank you again..” She stepped into the pod behind her son, the door closing automatically as the small metal machine began to rumble and slowly rise from its perch in the hanger.

Lance waved, watching it disappear with a smile. That was the first time anyone had offered thanks to him in so long and it felt good, giving him a sudden internal bolt of desire to help people, shocking him down to his fingertips. Blues mind flooded his as she seemingly enjoyed his fulfilment, while he barely felt the ever broody Red vibrate with a jealously, still reeling from Keith’s sudden bail and disappearance from her mind. 

Lance raised a careful brow, thinking as he tried his best to reach out to Red, feet now taking him across the hangar to her designated place. 

She was reluctant, glowering at him, almost but he pushed on, pleading for a connection, something, anything. 

Just as Lance was getting a terribly stabbing headache, Red gave in, her mechanical mind seemingly buzzing into his own with images of Keith, far away.

They were very blurred and extraordinarily unintelligible, but Lance knew it was Keith with his mild scowl and scruffy mullet. The very fleeting image was enough to make Lance almost jump with joy as he dug further for anything else. 

Red offered him an image of a building, tall and almost office like, the only defining feature a large blue plant growing from the top. He recognised it, he just couldn’t think of where he’d seen it. 

After a small prompt from Blue it hit him, it was the building in Alluras briefing of Helios layout, put together to aid Liha and Tral in their solo exploration of the planet. 

Keith was on Helio, Lance knew where he was! 

He smiled widely, almost bursting at the seams as he bolted from the hangar, running full tilt toward his room. 

If Red could find Keith, Lance could find Keith. 

Keith was watching the busy street warily. The group had decided they needed supplies to make it to their desired locations, seeing as their ships didn’t have a hyperspeed function and they’d be travelling road trip style. 

Ironically enough the closest neutral planet was Helio, where Keith was now waiting patiently by a vendor selling strange trinkets made of what looked like a glowing wood. He had sent off his three allies with only a few dollars each, hoping they’d find different but useful objects throughout the market. He’d been looking too but may or may not have given up after being shoved one to many times by a rude alien attempting to get past him, muttering slurs in their many languages. 

“Lock!” Keta shouted, her short form breaking from the crowd as she pushed people aside dismissively. Once she sided up to him she grinned proudly, presenting two fairly chunky cubes proudly. “I found a food vendor down the way a bit, got their cheapest.” 

Keith smiled, accepting the food receptacles and tucking them away inside of the bag slung haphazardly over his shoulder. “Good work. How long do you reckon it’ll last?”

She shrugged, now distractedly pulling at the hemming on her heavy cloak. “If we eat as sparingly as we did on Stardust, we’ll be fine.”

“Hello guys.” Next was Alec who was smiling mildly at the pair, offering up some wires and another of the purple cubes. Keta pulled her own out of the bag, pulling Keith awkwardly forward, as the pair shared a high five. 

“What’s that stupid Earthling thing, smart heads think alike?” Keta asked Keith who rolled his eyes as he settled the bag on his back comfortably again. 

“Something like that.”

“Where’s Chera?” Alec asked as she carefully stowed her things in the bag. Keith offered a shrug as he continued his mindless stare into the crowds, Keta just laughed. 

“C’mon, she probably found the local bar and has gotten that drink she was always on about needing.” 

Alec smiled neutrally, but there was a mischievous glint in her inquisitive eyes. “If only we had that kind of money.”

“I’m surrounded by a bunch of fuckin’ unprofessionals. Don’t drink on the job, right Lock?” The youngest alien looked to him with hopeful eyes, he only offered a wry upturn of his lips. 

“I’m staying out of this one, sorry Keta.”

Keta growled in protest, throwing her arms up in disbelief. “Unbelievable. Fine you enjoy your poison, Alec, see if I care.” 

“If that’s how you want to look at it.” Alec shrugged dismissively. “Trust me, I will though.”

Keta groaned, crossing her arms across her chest in annoyance. Keith knew she was only against alcohol because of her species, the beverage harmful to her almost plant like systems. From what he could gather her mother, who was forced to work on Stardust, died from an over consumption of it. 

He shivered in disgust, glad he was finally off that fucking planet. 

“Let’s get out of here.” A new voice joined them only a minute or two later, it’s owner, Chera stalking past them quickly with a bag under her arm and another over her shoulder. 

“Shit, what did you do?” Keith asked, the question further amplified as a pair of armed aliens with long gangly legs and purple flesh tore down the street after her, forcing a path through the busy shoppers. 

“No time to explain.” She replied shortly as they all began to sprint back toward their ships, sitting in a rented hangar at the end of the main street. 

“They won’t let us out of the hangar!” Alec puffed as they quickly came to its silver entry door. Keith pushed it open with a huff, allies running in as he slammed it closed. Alec proceeded to panic, pressing the hangar door button wildly but to no avail, the main silver doors remaining firmly shut. 

“Calm down, Alec, it’s okay, we’ll figure something out.” Keith soothed softly, knowing she wasn’t the best under pressure, probably stemming from her once career on Stardust as a waitress of sorts to Grin himself. Keith knew all to well he abused his staff, sometimes killed them just because he could. He hoped that Alec wasn’t one of his targets but knew in his heart Grin hurt everyone. Some way or another. 

Shaking from his thoughts, Keith’s eyes scanned the room for something they could use to break the doors or hack their mechanism when a loud explosion cut him off. He cast exhausted eyes on Keta who was sitting in the open cockpit of one of their stolen drones, having fired to canons to burst through the door. 

“We have canons.” She stated with a smug grin, reaching down to hoist a somewhat calmer Alec into the cockpit with her, Keith and Chera scrambling into the other as they took off through the significantly large new door hole, Keith and Keta piloting them into the safety of space before he looked at Chera with a somewhat blank expression. 

She smiled a small smile, it was almost sheepish. Keith raised a brow, Chera was confident and quiet with smarts like one wouldn’t believe. Why be so reckless? “I got food and liquids from a vendor two streets across.”

“Why’d you steal it, we don’t need that much and I gave you money for a reason?” He asked her almost softly. She bit her lip. 

“I need it. For someone. Back home..” 

That was all Keith needed to shut up as they began to move again, ships as quiet as their pilots in the silence of space. He didn’t know about Cheras once life, or who she was taking food for but knew if she was willing to risk them for it, it was important. 

And he knew he’d do the same. 

Lance assumed it was well past midnight, or at least the time they had designated midnight on the Castle Ship, given they had no exact clock to follow. 

He had been waiting a great many earth hours, pretending to shuffle off to bed quietly after dinner. No one questioned him. After Grin’s unwelcome appearance he knew the others would do the same shortly. 

They were all drained, even the ever stubborn Allura who had tried to build a plan to find Keith that day, eventually she gave into the hands of exhaustion and called an early dinner. 

Lance heard her say her goodnights only moments after he’d left the room. 

Of course Lance wasn’t tired, not even close. He was amped up, filled with a determination that left him buzzing, the claws of both Red and Blue buried deep in his ribs as he waited for silence to fill the castle. 

It was wrong, he knew, but he didn’t want to share Keith’s location with the rest of the Paladins. He was sure it would only make matters worse and cause more fighting between them. 

So without much thought he decided he’d go alone, taking Red and Blue to find the hot headed Paladin and help him and his allies find refuge. 

Grin couldn’t find him first, and he thought, neither could Allura. 

Lance would find him and protect him, help him as much as he could, because as much as he was furious at Keith for everything he had done up to this point, they were friends. 

Friends? Yes, Lance nodded firmly. 

And friends helped friends no matter what. So only hours later, as Lance sat on his floor, journal pressed up against his chest and eyes wide and awake, he decided to make his move. It was now or never. 

First he collected all his essentials from his room. Of course Lance essentials included a few luxuries like soaps and fancy face masks. He was about to get on Allura’s really bad side, so he decided he might as well make it extra worth it. 

After filling his bag with clothes and even his journal, he left his room for the kitchen, moving as silently as he possibly could knowing that, despite being in bed, hardly anyone would be asleep. He wasn’t the only one plagued with nightmares on the daily. 

He didn’t take much food, knowing it wouldn’t be fair to the inhabitants of the castle, but enough for a week or so of travel. He hoped to find Kieth before then of course. 

Moving down the hall again, he came to their armours storage and put on his own as swiftly as he could, taking both the red and blue bayards and stuffing them in his now overloaded bag. 

The next stop was the hanger in which the lions resided. Upon walking in he felt Red and Blue hit his gut like a punch and had to gasp suddenly, they were almost screaming at him, minds forcing their way into his own as they vied for answers. 

“We’re going,” he exclaimed as he walked the distance toward them, “Red you’ll need to show me where he is.” 

Red wasted no time, as willing as she’d ever been, in showing Lance Keith, piloting one of their stolen ships, Chera to his side. 

“But where is that?” Lance asked desperately, Red showed him a planet and some stars before then buzzing loudly, telling Lance she knew and he need only trust her. 

He did, he trusted her as much as he did Kieth, so with a smile and sole nod he boarded Blue who welcomed him with a purr. 

“Okay ladies, shall we?” 

As promised, Red, of her own will, led the way, practically leaping to freedom as Lance followed closely behind in Blue. 

No going back now, he thought. 

It was time to repay his debt, he was going to find Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story I’m finding one of my biggest challenges trying to give personalities that are unique and loveable to Keith’s three alien accomplices. It’s proving a challenge, that’s for sure.  
> As the story progresses I hope they go from strangers to actually dynamic, well rounded individuals but I’m not sure. This is a bit of an experiment for me.  
> Guess we shall see what happens but until next time.  
> See you all later!


End file.
